To Be a Warrior
by firevixen73
Summary: Sasuke is training to be the best fighter in all of Japan when a pretty little pink haired reporter steps into his life by thoroughly kicking his rivals ass right in front of him. Then he is informed that the woman is off limits which triggers what's known as the Uchiha family curse. No one tells him no.
1. Chapter 1

**Firevixen73** - So I am attempting to get myself back into the swing of things before heading back to my previous stories. I was away, literally out of the country, for a year and am now back. This is supposed to be a pretty short story but hopeful still has all the elements everyone likes. I'm glad to say the copy cat who was copying my stories had their stuff taken down :) For this one I'm looking at 3 chapters max so I get to refocus on my other stories. For those who do like what you read I have a few one shots that are also Sakura/Sasuke based and a Sakura/Itachi story that I promise I will finish. So glad to be back! Enjoy!

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Sakura, while a loving and compassionate individual, was known to have a temper. It was a fact of life that her friends had learned long ago to pay attention to. This was only naturally learned through their own personal experience with her. No one faulted the foolish newbie who thought nothing of their prank or teasing gesture. Bets were usually made about how far Sakura would let them go before she tore them to pieces, Tenten had made a good three hundred when Lee was introduced to the group. And this particular lesson would usually end in some form of horrible embarrassment, bruises and laughter on everyone else's part. Everyone eventually learned Sakura Haruno had a backbone made of something far stronger than bone.

There was an ongoing theory between the group about how she was able to deceive nearly everyone around her, one that revolved around her seemingly innocent appearance. Others would see a charming looking five foot three girl followed by perfectly curled long bubblegum pink hair and a set of vibrant green eyes that made emeralds embarrassed to shine. The natural instinct of many was to think 'how sweet'. Mistake number one. She was not sweet, she was terrifying. The next common thought was that what she looked liked defined her capabilities. Essentially that she was only designed to nurture and care thus causing others to underestimated her. This was mistake number two. She was a lightning bolt aiming specifically for the tree you were standing under.

If people were being smart, which was a rarity in today's world, they would look at the facts. Some of the same facts that you learn when you are a small child and reading stories in your bedroom after your parents tell you to turn off the lights. For example when you read about princesses and princes, fairy tales with dragons and magical quests to find true love, a common theme of these stories is a villain with powers beyond normal comprehension. And, more often than not, said villains disguise themselves to extremes, sometimes as the beautiful enchantress and other times the ugly old hag. The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Enchanted and the new and improved Rapunzel were all examples. Heck, even Sleeping Beauty captured that particular element. Kiba swore up and down that Sakura was truly a supervillian for these very reasons. But no one pays attention to the logic that was so helpful to them as children. No, we are all much too grown up for that.

The second thing that others should pay attention to were Sakura's friends. A lot can be said about a person by observing the people they choose to surround themselves with and all of Sakura's friends were of the more colorful variety. She often had the daughter to Hiashi Hyuuga's empire, the creator of the silent fist martial arts technique, on one arm and a tattooed crazier than shit stunt double on the other. Hinata, while initially sweet and fitting the description bestowed on Sakura so regularly, was no walk in the park. She had a strange dichotomy about her. One where she was the most precious thing that you could come across but could walk over a dead body without being phased. It was as if she accepted everything bad about the world as a natural consequence that she could do nothing about. In all honesty, it had even the infamous Neji a little creeped out.

Then there was Kiba. Oh Kiba. Very few words could describe the half man half adrenaline junky that was her brother through everything but blood. They had known each other for over 15 years now and absolutely nothing could break that bond Well, maybe him trying to recruit Sakura into one of his little adventures like when he kidnapped her to take her bungee jumping off of the empire state building. The man was a walking disaster who paid for his lifestyle by making just as stupid stunts on camera as he did in real life. Everyone swore that the only difference between his recreational activities and his work was that one paid for his hospital bills.

But really, people tended to ignore this about her. So now we have to review all the other people she hung out with.

Neji was one of the top martial artists in the nation who was also from the Hyuuga family. They had met shortly after she had befriended Hinata and while they initially did not get along they had somehow forged a bond like none other. If Kiba was like a brother Neji was like possessive ex-boyfriend who you had ended on good terms with but he still judged every man that ever spoke to you. It was actually very sweet when one stopped to think about it, especially with knowing how indifferent he was to everyone else.

Then there was his girlfriend Tenten. Now she was someone Sakura had connected with on an entirely different level. Unlike the others she understood Sakura's passion for violence but with a more somewhat feminine mindset. Unlike the men surrounding them, and Hinata who really just ignored it all, Tenten understood the rage and the reasons behind it. She saw what made Sakura snap and supported her full heartedly. At the same time Tenten took it to a new level. While a level headed person she was Neji's weight trainer for a reason. The girl was raised by her Uncle Asuma, who never having a girl around before had forever treated her like one of the boys. To this day Sakura wasn't sure Tenten even owned a dress, let alone wore one.

Then of course there was Lee, one of the top sprinters in the world who had placed second at the Olympics two years ago. Sakura swore up and down that his endurance was his biggest asset, even as annoying as it could be. While his stamina and perseverance had won him medals across the country it did have its downsides. For instance, every coach wants a runner who doesn't know the word no and just pushes through it. Sakura on the other hand found it extremely unsettling every Thursday when he dropped by with flowers and the promise to sweep her off her feet on their non-existent date the next day. It was even worse when he adamantly promised completely unfeasible feats like lapping the station on only his hands to prove himself to her. See, crazy. Internally Sakura was a little more than pleased to hear that he would be overseas for the next few months for a new fitness program.

Then there was Shino. While initially he did not appear incredibly odd on the outside he was probably the strangest out of the bunch. He was a reporter for one of the biggest newspapers in the Tokyo area. Shino, much to his dismay, was often overlooked and all but ignored. While his social life was non-existent because of this inability for people to remember him it was perfect for his work. No one could figure out how he got all the confidential information that he did, but really he just stood there while people spoke.

Last, but most certainly not least there, was Sai. She had met him while doing a report on one of the up and coming kendo competitors. Sai, being oblivious him stepped into her filming and started explaining his paintings on live television. While her interview was ruined she couldn't help but admire the street vendor who dared to upstage her broadcast like that and they quickly began talking. He, the newest member of their ragtag group, seemed to enjoy learning the lesson that will forever be dubbed as 'Thou shall not mess with Haruno'. It made her think that he was a little more than turned on by the violence which was extremely unnerving. It certainly explained why his artwork was also so morbid.

But that was her posse; Hinata the silent heiress, Kiba the stunt double, Neji the martial artist, Tenten the trainer, Lee the runner, Shino the reporter and Sai the artists. That must have been how the rest of the world saw them but anyone who had ever spent any time around the group knew the truth. They were all insane.

Naruto, who had heard of Sakura by reputation but never by name for four months should have calculated that. He should have realized that Kiba, while a born storyteller was not one to lie. He should have, but he didn't. Which was how he ended up where he did. Bruised, gasping and barely standing.

The cause of his downfall began with a simple training exercise with his best friend Sasuke Uchiha. The two had known each other for quiet some time and despite being rivals often trained together. Their respective Master's were two out of the three legendary Sannin and had therefore spent more than enough time together than either one truly wanted. Still, friendship like theirs were hard to come by and they somehow remained by the other's side without killing one another.

Despite this forced closeness they would always be there for each other. Sasuke had been there for Naruto during his search for his birth parents and the millions of miles that trip had taken them. Sasuke had silently helped as Naruto searched every newspaper, visited every town and finally every grave site. He had been there when Naruto eventually broke down at the slabs of stone with dates and names of strangers that he would never know but had every right to.

Naruto had also been there for the dark haired fighter. While he had never been on a life long quest to find his parents a small portion of Sasuke always wished that he could have. Instead he was stuck with the family he was born with and though he might have been privileged he was far from happy. His family was known for their fighting and legendary skills. He was born and raised to honor his family name, but most of all to succeed. They were rotten to the core and were willing to do anything to win. It was why when he silently disowned himself from the family, and it truly was silent because the family would rather have him killed then live with the shame of someone leaving voluntarily, Naruto's had been the first place he went.

They had an unspoken bond between them as surrogate brothers. Brothers who wanted to kill each other half the time but brother's none the less.

"Sasuke! You are a fucking bastard and you know it. You are just mad that I got that last hit in," screamed the blonde while trying to collect all the fallen weapons surrounding him.

Sasuke Uchiha did not even dignify that with a response. He didn't have to. It was true that he was a little miffed that his long time friend and personal sparing partner had maybe got more than a little hit in on Sasuke's side but that was not the reason why he threw Naruto into the lockers on the other side of the dojo. No, this was much more annoying than some stupid little hit. "Shut up you idiot, I can't stand your voice anymore."

Insert glare infamous to the Uchiha bloodline that no normal human can withstand.

Naruto quickly stood up as he tried to channel his fury. His glare had little to no effect since Naruto had become all but immune to it over the years and the oblivious boy continued. Naruto had a date with the girl of his dreams tonight and he'd be damned if Sasuke bruised him up for the big night. And lockers tended to leave rather large marks when thrown into them. So not cool Sasuke, not cool at all. "You're just some pansy who is pissed off because Neji beat your last rotation score."

Insert even worse glare where flesh melted like acid from the bone leaving nothing but the remnants of what was originally a human corpse but was now an unidentifiable mass of goo.

Naruto, who never took an opportunity to tease his long time friend for granted, happily placed his hands behind his head and rested them there while strolling up towards the fuming Uchiha. "Must kinda suck being behind in rankings with Hyuuga, I mean, he's like totally kicking your ass with the fans too. Who knew someone as bastardly as him could have a fan base. Don't ask me how he is getting across a better impression than you. The stick up his ass is twice as long as yours."

Sasuke had heard enough. While Neji was an annoyance that seemed incapable of dying an extremely painful death full of electrically charged bolts sent down from the heavens themselves that man was not the current issue. Naruto was the problem and it was on Naruto alone that his fury was channeled towards. What's more Naruto was attempting to change the subject and Sasuke wasn't about to fall for it, "Stop dating his cousin."

Naruto's face scrunched up in annoyance. Whether it was because someone was telling him what to do or because Sasuke had effectively redirected the conversation no one would ever know, "Don't tell me who to date."

"Stop talking about her, its annoying," replied Sasuke as he completely ignored Naruto's earlier come back. In all honesty he was sick of hearing about the girl. There was no way she was as great as Naruto made her seem especially if she was a Hyuuga. Nothing good ever came out of that clan. If it wasn't about her eyes it was about her legs, if it wasn't about her legs it was about her hips, if it wasn't about her hips it was about something else that made him gag. No woman was worth Naruto's obsession. No woman was worth betraying your best friend over. No woman was worth betraying yourself over.

"She's not annoying you bastard, she's perfect!" yelled Naruto as he attempted to defend Hinata with every fiber of his being. "She's way better to look at than you."

Sasuke, hearing enough, walked over to the end of the mat to pick up the cold washcloth he had laid out earlier. He was tired of this argument. If Naruto couldn't see that Hinata was using him then that was Naruto's problem. He on the other hand wouldn't be used like some puppet. No one was about to pull his strings, "Whatever."

Naruto wasn't done with the conversation though and wasn't about to have Sasuke walk out by having the last word like that. Everyone knew that Naruto had to be the one to say the last word. It was just common knowledge. "Hey I wasn't done yet!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he walked over to the weight station. As he perused the area Sasuke quickly settled on the free weights. Without turning to his friend Sasuke started the line of questioning everyone knew Naruto had been avoiding, "You, me, Gaara and the Hyuuga. We are the top four contestants for the National Martial Arts Medals this year. You don't think it's strange that Hyuuga cousin magically started dating you right as you are training for the biggest match of our lives?"

"Shut up would you? Not everyone is out to sabotage us. There are good people in the world you know. Hinata is one of them. She really cares about me and is actually rooting for me to win over her cousin," defended Naruto while crossing his arms over his chest. "She comes to all my sporting events, brings me dinner and even puts up with your shitty attitude."

"What does her father think?" asked Sasuke as he lifted each weight before him while attempting to figure out which one he felt like lifting. At the same time he was watching for Naruto's response. Sasuke knew that the blonde hadn't been introduced to anyone in her family, he would have heard about it for hours if he had, and was hoping this would be what finally made Naruto stop being so blind. Sasuke could deal with his friend dating someone Sasuke couldn't stand, that was a given because they were obviously mental if they wanted to date that walking ball of sunshine, but he couldn't deal with his friend dating someone who was just using him.

Naruto paused for a minute as he tried to think up an answer to that question. He hadn't heard a thing about Hinata's family if he was being completely honest. Naruto probably knew more from news reports than anything he heard from her. She never talked about her younger sister or father. In fact, she spoke more about Neji than anyone else in her family. Even then the information was usually about his day than anything else. Nothing about training or martial arts at all. That was a little odd considering that was supposed to be his passion and therefore his life.

At first Naruto thought it might be a problem what with Neji being so close to her but it really hadn't come up. In fact, nothing about her life had really been a problem. In reality it was because she never talked about herself. Everything was about Naruto and his day. And despite how often they hung out Naruto had only met two of her friends.

The first one was named Kiba who for some reason Naruto felt an immediate bond with. Of course the idea of his girl spending multiple amounts of time with such a fun guy was a little daunting. While he was confident in himself he knew Kiba was a little more than lucky with the ladies. And heck, for all Naruto knew the two had dated, or were thinking about it, or were dating. He had no clue. Holy crap, Kiba had a thing for his girl! Hell, he might have hit on her repeatedly and she was doing everything in her power to stage him off but was failing miserably due to Naruto's inability to be around her all the time hence not reminding her why they were perfect for each other.

He did not want to appear crazy to his friend, or relay the insecurities that were swimming throughout his head. Naruto's eye brows scrunched as he thought about how little he really knew about Hinata. "Well, we are keeping it low key."

Sasuke did not even dignify that with a response. Naruto didn't understand the phrase low key let alone practice it. Heck, the first time he met Naruto was at a martial arts match when they were 12 years old. The idiot came running onto the mat in a bright orange get up screaming about him being the best in the nation let alone the regional tournament they had both qualified for.

But yeah, Naruto was totally down for a low key relationship.

"It was a mutual decision," defended Naruto to the completely unasked assumption. Sasuke by this point wasn't even paying attention to the conversation seeing as he had deemed it unworthy of his time now that the point was getting across. "We want to take things slow."

Again, anyone who knew Naruto knew nothing was ever done slow. A speeding bullet was unable to keep up with him when he wanted something. "Embarrassment or using you, take your pick," stated Sasuke in his typical better than thou manner, "either way stop talking about her."

Naruto's face turned red at the accusation, "Shut up okay, just cause you are mad that I know how to have a relationship while you sulk alone at night doesn't mean you can be a prick to the rest of the world."

Sasuke dropped the weight he was lifting in mid curl once he realized that Naruto was not done complaining. He knew he shouldn't have started a conversation. They always continued past his initial statement which was usually the opposite of why he started one. It was as if people saw it as an incentive to keep their mouth moving. Once placing the weight in the appropriate place Sasuke turned to his friend, "You need to stop being such an idiot and concentrate on training. Not that you have a chance of beating me but you should at least try. You'll look even more pathetic if you don't."

Naruto's face suddenly turned white at the mentioning of further training. Placing his hand behind his head he scratched it guiltily, "Oh well I can't really do anymore today. I told you I have a date."

Sasuke could feel the laziness rolling off of Naruto and was making mental bets in his head about where the moron would place with all the slacking off he was doing. Maybe that was Hinata's plan all along. Like trainer like student I guess. Jiraya always could be distracted by a pretty face. It's why even though Orochimaru had a little more than a few oddities Sasuke hand selected him as a Master. The man only shot for being the best of the best and never anything else. Standards above all else were something they shared and it was more than difficult to catch Sasuke Uchiha's eye. Of course, if you managed that feet then congratulations, you officially had his attention. But throughout the years very few, perhaps Orochimaru and Naruto, were the only ones to truly perk any curiosity or respect in him. But it was moments like this that he wondered if the respect in his friend was misplace. It didn't matter though, because Sasuke was sure in his decision as a fighter and would stick with the choice in his Master thus negating his current disapproval of Naruto.

After reassessing his decision and once again finding that he had made the most productive choice per usual Sasuke returned to the mat to work on his forms. Most people thought that a new technique was the most important thing in a fight but being steadfast in your basics was the true advantage. It didn't matter how fancy someone's move was, if you were set in your stance, had a clear mind and could keep your breathing even you would be a hard opponent to beat.

"Its pretty cool though, having someone cheer for me like she does. Makes it more fun in the ring ya know?" laughed Naruto as he attempted to forget the conversation Sasuke had been pushing. It was a typical Naruto move. It was like he couldn't think of anything negative let alone talk about it. What was he on, happy pills?

Sasuke, who was still practicing his breathing, scoffed, "A fan is a fan."

Naruto shook his head as he once again got in the way of Sasuke's training. Standing directly in front of him, while being ignored of course, Naruto began the one sided conversation, "It's different when you are trying to impress someone. Last week I totally pulled that move out of no where because I couldn't stand being pinned down on the ground in front of her."

"Why would I want to impress anyone other than myself? It's just another distraction. No one else has ever been worth my time when it comes to the mat. No one is worthy to be a distraction. The sooner you learn that the better," Sasuke couldn't help the mockery that came out of his voice. In fact once he thought about it he didn't want to stop the mockery coming out of his voice.

Naruto frowned, "One day you'll see what it is like, how much it will suddenly mean to you and its going to hit you out of know where to. Suddenly someone is gonna catch your attention. And you'll see what it's like. I am going to prove myself to her one way or another. I'll be the most loving and devoted boyfriend ever! Then you'll be jealous because I am going to be so happy!"

* * *

Oddly enough it was only a month later that Naruto found himself in this very position. Looking back on it nothing felt more natural as he announced his affections for Hinata on national television. He had strong feelings for the girl and had always felt an overwhelming need to announce himself to the world. It was a genetic trait of pure obliviousness inherited from his father's line because if he would have been paying attention he would have noticed that Sasuke had a point. Hinata had been going out of her way to keep their relationship secret. He was an up and coming fighter with reporters stalking him and sponsors harassing him at every turn. Yet somehow none of them had ever caught them together which was odd. It would have been a huge scandal and have sold plenty of newspapers considering what family she came from. Hinata _had_ been doing everything in her power to keep people from knowing that she was dating Naruto Uzumaki, but it wasn't out of malice or embarrassment. Her reason's were very different from what Sasuke had proposed. Very different indeed.

So, when Naruto turned to the pink haired reporter as she announced the final contestant of the final tournament scheduled in one months time, he took his cue. Personally Naruto had never had to much interaction with the pink haired reporter from a small town outside of Tokyo. He had of course heard about her, she was after all Sakura Haruno. She was considered one of the most popular up and coming reporters of Japan. Perhaps it was because she was a smoking hot female who reported on sports thus giving every man their personal wet dream to think about at night. Maybe it was because when the big boys started talking about scores and probabilities she was right up there with her own theories that to be honest, typically won. Or maybe it was a combination of the entire package.

Either way it was a well known fact in the sports community that one of the perks of being the best was being able to sit alone in a room with her and do an interview. It was a goal Naruto had strived for up until a few months ago. He had been convinced that with one look at him she would fall madly in love and they would have beautiful nationally recognized children. That dream was over the moment he met Hinata but hey, that didn't mean he still didn't have a little crush on her. She was freaking Sakura Haruno.

So after he got over the fact that he was meeting the perfectly proportioned, long haired and green eyed beauty Naruto made his stance. He grabbed the microphone out of her hand and smiled, "I want to say thanks to the love of my life Hinata Hyuuga for being so awesome and always supporting me. You and me forever! Believe it!"

He was too wrapped up in himself to notice the shocked look on Sakura's face. He was getting to many pats on the back from the surrounding men in the room to watch Sakura purposefully close her dazed mouth and shake her head in disappointment. Very carefully she pulled the microphone back to her lips and smiled, "You heard it all here at KY News, this is Sakura Haruno signing off."

Once the camera had lowered and the red light was no longer flashing the pink haired reporter turned towards Naruto. While he had been pushed a few feet away by his trainers and martial arts master she once again shook her head. Hinata had tried so hard to make their relationship last. She had done everything possible to keep everyone who needed to be in the dark stay there in order to give him enough time. Hopefully Naruto had enough to prepare himself because what was coming would not be pretty.

* * *

Sasuke was training vigorously as he prepared for the tournament set in one month's time. Four of the top fighters in the nation were going to be competing and he swore to himself he would win. Most of it was for himself and proving that he was indeed the best but the other part was to finally settle Naruto's relationship with Hinata. Naruto had sworn to win this for her and Sasuke had half a mind to beat the crap out of his friend just to prove to Naruto how much Hinata was manipulating him. Luckily he knew Naruto's technique so he was spending less time focusing on the blond. Sasuke also knew Neji's fighting style since the Uchiha's and Hyuugas had been at odd for years but this Gaara's was more of a mystery to him. He had only fought him a couple of times and he had always come across as brutal in his techniques. And for Sasuke to call someone intense was saying something.

Today was completely dedicated to figuring out how to best these styles by perfecting their own. It was why, despite what was coming up, Sasuke and Naruto continued training together for this week and this week only. Each had called in the best trainers that they knew as a mutual pact for that week. Naruto had called in Jiraya, of course, and the man's old master Sarutobi. Sasuke had brought in Orochimaru and his elder brother Itachi, who had studied for years in the family dojo. Even Kakashi, Sasuke's Uncle and only family member that he trusted was going to be flying in from out of town.

Despite Sasuke's fallout with his family Itachi and him had a somewhat different relationship. While Mikoto and Fugaku pretended to love their son and gush about him when asked by family friends they had little to no interaction with him in the real world. They had the monthly mandatory family dinners to satisfy the press but those were usually done in silence and a condescending air of disapproval. Itachi and him had somehow kept up a pretense of a relationship. They spoke civilly to each other about every two weeks due to Itachi often renting out Sasuke's dojo to get away from the ever watchful eyes in the Uchiha dojo. They did not get along but some part of the other respected each other. Itachi for his ability to tolerate the family and Sasuke for his ability to leave. It was why when Itachi overheard Sasuke talking about a few extra pair of eyes to help with training that Sasuke was a little shocked when he volunteered. One or two of Itachi's old sparing partners were also set to come later on today which was a blessing and a curse. Kisame and Sasori were not exactly the calmest of individuals and Sasuke could already feel his headache growing.

Either way the fresh set of eyes were welcomed for the most part. It had been three days and everyone was already starting to see the differences. Both of their stances were stronger and the attacks more precise. Sasuke found himself focusing on the intensity of the attacks, since he usually exercised more control, and Naruto was stuck in practicing the basics.

Both recognized that they needed the training but Naruto was having a slightly more difficult time. Said blonde was more than a little miffed that Sasuke was getting to channel fierceness while he was stuck on breathing techniques. Sasuke inwardly chuckled as the blonde once again failed to hone himself. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Naruto, in an effort to keep his momentum going, chanted Hinata's name. Inwardly Naruto could only hope that they lasted that long though. Hinata had became distant since his proclamation. Naruto claimed up and down that all of their recent goodbyes had felt like it might be their last and he didn't know why. But he was determined to prove himself to her, and since she wasn't around to hear them, Sasuke had unfortunately been on the reluctant receiving end of those speeches.

He swore if he heard one more I love you declaration from Naruto he would lose it. There was only so much a best friend could tolerate. Adding to that particular annoyance was having his fucker of a brother correct him all day. The man was more than good in a fight but he was like every other member of the Uchiha family. Controlling and believed himself better than everyone else. Sasuke had never done well with someone challenging him. Just because he unofficially left the Uchiha clan didn't mean he didn't have their blood continuously running through him.

This was why in the middle of an extremely painful stance with less that light weights it took him a few seconds to register the doors to the dojo bursting open.

In stepped the perfectly immaculate Hinata Hyuuga. Now, it was a surprise to all because it had been an unspoken agreement that the Hyuuga heiress was to never step foot in the training grounds. To much could be relayed to her cousin and no one wanted to chance it. Naruto had originally disagreed but had been outvoted by everyone in the vicinity. Even Jiraya had been skeptical when they first started dating and had agreed to Sasuke's demand. To everyone's surprise Naruto had one supporter which was the ever aloof Itachi that had more than present recently. Why he disagreed with the group was unclear but it was quickly bypassed and forgotten. He was a guest during the day and had little to no say about anything other than his schedule.

"Hinata?" asked Naruto as he dropped the weights on the floor while ignoring the sound of them hitting the mat. "What are you doing here?"

Hinata, for her part, looked flawless. While she would never radiate an air of confidence or stop multiple men in their tracks by just a glance she had a sense of innocence about her that seemed to lighten a room. So it was a surprise when she did not walk further and hug her boyfriend. It was a shock when she stopped three feet in front of him and placed her hand out to motion his own body to halt mid lunge.

Naruto glanced around as he waited for her to speak. Once it was clear that everyone in the room was not only baffled, but starting to get annoyed, Naruto turned towards her. He wasn't sure how to start the conversation since this experience had him off balance and wondering what to do. He knew he should kick her out, there was serious training going on and the group had already decided no Hinata Hyuuga on the premises. At the same time the boyfriend in him wanted to pounce and remove that worry right off her face. "So…how've you been?"

Sasuke could have left the room out of sheer principle in that very moment if the dojo hadn't of belonged to him. What was Naruto, twelve?

Hinata's eyes slowly moved up from their spot on the ground as she made eye contact with Naruto, "I like us being together, I really do, but Naruto, there are a few things that you need to know about me."

Naruto's own face immediately went a pale and an obvious shade of green quickly followed, "Y-your breaking up with me?"

Sasuke, who had been privy to his brother's criticism for the last three hours, was not in the mood to deal with this drama. He did not care that Naruto was supposed to be his biggest rival. He didn't care that he had been warning Naruto about this for the past few months. So when he saw Hinata hesitate in her answer to his reluctantly admitted best friend's question Sasuke snapped.

"Where do you get off Hyuuga?" he said fiercely while gliding ferociously over towards the pair. How a person could manage to do that only Sasuke knew but somehow he made it possible. Naruto, who had tried for many months, had decided that gliding was apparently a trait you were born with and it could not be learned. But Sasuke did indeed glide, and he did so with the look of an avenger in his eyes.

Hinata faltered briefly while looking at the extremely fierce looking martial artist. As soon as she sized him up, and for some unfathomable reason to everyone else in the room determined that he was not a threat, she turned back to Naruto. "I'm not breaking up with you its just…dating me is complicated. There are certain rules that we all have to follow. I tried to keep you out of it, I really did."

Sasuke stopped mid step as he processed her answer. While he was more than turned off at the idea of someone so casually disregarding him he was more interested in her reasoning. Even if Naruto was an idiot he wanted the best for him.

Naruto blinked repeatedly as he felt an extreme weight lift off of his shoulders. With what could only be described as a sigh of relief Naruto exhaled and slumped, "So you aren't breaking up with me?"

No response was given back. He glanced again at Hinata as she appeared to contemplate the question. After a few more seconds she seemed to find the answer she was looking for, "_I_ wont be breaking up with you. I like you very, very much."

Naruto fell to the ground in relief. With a laugh he glanced around, "And you all thought she was using me. Don't you all feel like total dipshits now?"

Then he felt Hinata grab his shoulder and force him to look at her. Once she was crouched in front of him she shook her head, "I won't be breaking up with you Naruto but that doesn't mean that we will still be together. You see, my Master has a strict dating policy when it comes to fighters."

Naruto didn't say anything back. To be honest he didn't know Hinata had a master. She had never really mentioned anything from the Hyuuga fighting styles or any martial arts moves. She had never corrected his form or complemented something specific that he did when in the arena. In fact, she acted like she didn't know much. Combine that with her reportedly rocky relationship with her father and he figured there was no reason to ask. While he contemplated this Jiraya spoke up, "Your master? I was unaware that you were trained, though I always felt that your father preferred fighters in the family. Even if Naruto does not come from a long line of them he has established himself as one of the best. Isn't that enough?"

Hinata glanced back around the room as she again chose her words carefully, "My father is not my Master, I was trained under someone else. She is the one that has the policy and it is something that has served all of her students well in the past."

Jiraya's face scrunched. Most female fighters were all muscle and no beauty but if he had to he was always open to persuading this master through other methods. He was willing to do anything for his students and he would make this woman's night by doing it. He was a legend for a reason, on and off the fighting mat. The legendary Toad was about to make his sacrifice clear but before he could ask for the name of Hinata's master another man came strolling through the front doors.

With a happy whistle the black haired and pale skinned man stepped next to Hinata. His fingers were covered in paint and there appeared to be black splotches all over his clothes. Said clothes were rather oddly fashioned. He wore a half shirt and extremely baggy pants that had holes throughout the bottom half of the legs, "Did I miss the beating? I feel like it will be very enjoyable to watch."

Hinata blushed a bright red color, "We don't know that he is going to loose Sai."

Another booming voice quickly joined into the confusion and Naruto looked up to immediately see a man he recognized. It was Kiba, the man Sasuke had convinced him Hinata was having an affair with. The truth was that Naruto had convinced himself of that fact and Sasuke had never even mentioned the man but Naruto only believed what he wanted to believe. Not caring that they had bonded like true men over beer and an open grill Naruto went on the defense. Immediately jumping to his feet the blonde quickly joined in, "No one kicks Naruto Uzumaki's ass!"

Kiba just laughed again as he pictured the future scenario. While laughing he walked over to the crowd and sat down cross legged, "Oh you are gonna get your ass kicked it's just a question as to how long she gives you. This seems like a pretty good seat."

Hinata rolled her eyes but her voice stayed soft, "Give him some credit Kiba. Are you forgetting who he is?"

Sai, who was never one to be left out of a conversation that he felt he knew something about walked over to where Kiba sat and gracefully crossed his own legs, "I agree Kiba, this is optimal seating for the ass kicking."

Hinata obviously wanted to stomp her foot in frustration but wouldn't dare due to her more demure nature.

Kiba scanned the room while pretending to sniff the air. Perhaps he realized how much he looked like a dog and didn't care but he kept up the act and grinned wolfishly, "We should be able to smell the blood from here."

Hinata's hair could have been standing on end with the obvious amount of frustration she was feeling, "There will be no blood!"

Kiba only snickered, "Why? She gonna beat him that fast? I bet twenty bucks she throws him across the room within a minute of meeting each other."

Hinata's displeasure could not have been more obvious.

"Sorry I'm late, Neji and I couldn't find any parking but we are here now!" yelled a girl happily while she skipped through the front door. She wore her hair in what could only be described as buns on the top of her head, looking somewhat similar to giant bowls of brown rice. Behind her being dragged by his wrists was none other than Neji Hyuuga.

Everyone in the room seemed to stiffen at his entrance. It was well known between all levels of fighters that you do not step into another man's dojo unless you were looking for a fight. Sasuke immediately stood in a more predatory position as he made his claim clear. He didn't know why the man was in his dojo but he wasn't welcomed.

Neji looked stoic as usual, but oddly enough not displeased. He wore what appeared to be the Hyuuga families traditional training gear and from the tape wrapped around his fists this visit had caught him off guard. Once they were halfway into the building Neji yanked his arms out from under the strange woman, "I know how to walk Tenten. I am not an invalid."

The now identified woman rolled her eyes. Despite them dating this type of talk was a common type of communication between them. "Well you could have fooled me what with how slow you have been moving this past week. You better watch it or Uchiha really will kick your ass and it wont just be me saying it."

Neji seemed to bristle at the statement, "Endurance may be key but being sure in your movement is the most important aspect of a fighter. Stamina is nothing if you are doing things inadequately."

Kiba scoffed at that statement, "You fighters really need to get together and determine what the most important thing is. It changes daily. You guys are all just pulling things out of your assess."

Sasuke felt his headache grow even bigger. He didn't know why these people were here, let alone one of his upcoming rivals, but he wanted them out. He had never been one to place his social life above his life goals and he was not about to let someone else's impede on his day. Not liking the crowd in his work area he quickly made sure the inhabitants of the room knew exactly where they were and who they were dealing with, "Get out, all of you."

Neji, who was used to Sasuke's blunt and rude statements mainly because he used the same tactics, quickly gave him the due attention he deserved, "I assure you I wish to be training as well but it is only proper I stay. This battle shall not be an easy one and as a fellow competitor it is only fair I give Naruto my support. My honor would be damaged if I were to leave."

Everyone in the room could have dropped to the floor in shock. Well, everyone but those who knew what was happening. Hinata just crossed her arms and tried not to show her desperation, "I really like him, try not to talk about him as if he has already lost."

Tenten, seeing an opening grabbed Neji's hand and pulled him over to the area now designated for guests. She had been through Hinata's turmoil and knew nothing but immediate action would relieve her. Heck, even then it would be beyond nerve racking. It had taken Neji four tries before they were allowed to date. "All he can do is his best, you know she will accept nothing less. Neji had to prove himself to date me and Naruto will have to do the same. Despite what you are telling yourself her standards are there for a reason."

Silently agreeing Hinata moved over towards her friends and sat down next to Kiba. With an empathetic hug, or what could be described as an attempt at an empathetic hug, Sai tried to comfort her. "It's alright, she will only break him a little."

It appeared that was the straw to break the camel's back because Jiraya was hearing none of it. He immediately started to defend his favorite student against this unknown foe, "I don't know what is going on but someone is insinuating that they will be able to beat my top student. He is my best and I have taught him everything I know, and no one has ever defeated me thus giving him something akin to my reputation. I think I know greatness when I see it and that boy is going places."

Orochimaru snickered. He had been silent up until this moment due to his observatory nature. He was named the Snake during his prime because he studied situations and fighters until he understood them completely. When it was the optimal moment he would strike in a powerhouse blow that destroyed whomever stood against him. He was very similar in his personal life in this way. His friendship with Jiraya always did lead him to new and unusual paths though, which is why he felt the need to speak up now. Unlike most other's who were present he had been around long enough to tell when the man's stories were fact or fiction. The two had been rivals for years, even before they trained under Sarutobi, and they knew each others stories almost as well as they knew their own. "You will need to retract that statement you fool."

Jiraya turned towards his long time rival but as equally as long friend. Offended by the statement because he really was a good fighter Jiraya challenged it, "You've never beaten me."

Orochimaru's eyes almost slithered towards him with a glare, "You have been beaten though, no matter what you tell yourself. Do you not remember how you got that scar on your chest?"

Naruto glanced at his own master in shock. For years Jiraya had boasted about his record, about how no one could truly keep him down. Now he was hearing that the legend was just that, a legend? "You got that in a fight? You said you got it in a life threatening experience with a wild beast!"

Orochimaru couldn't help the snicker partly because the wild beast analogy could be considered true. Tsunade had never been a force to recon with especially when mad. The woman, despite her beauty, was a whirlwind of fury and violence. Jiraya and him had fought over her long enough to realize that particular fact. Despite Orochimaru's thoughts on the matter he did not voice his opinion. He had always been the quiet one out of the three and less likely to cause a riot that he was near enough to get pulled into. He was usually the on looking instigator.

Instead it was the oldest man in the room, Sarutobi, that spoke, "He was looking where he should not have. I am glad to say that was the last time he ever poked his head into the women's changing rooms during a meet. I warned you not to upset her. She always had a violent temper."

Naruto and Sasuke both gave a collective sigh. Of course Jiraya had sustained the injury while trying to look at a woman. The female body would forever be that man's downfall.

"Did I miss it?" asked a small, almost a whisper really, voice that was once again near the doorway. All parties looked only to see what appeared to be a man in dark sunglasses wearing a dark colored rain coat. Why he felt the need to wear it was unclear considering it was the middle of winter and absolutely frigid outside. Still he stepped into the room as he assessed if he was truly late.

Naruto was the only one to immediately give him a response. "Hey I know you. You are the other friend of Hinata's that I met. Shino right?"

Even through his glasses and high collared jacket everyone could feel the man's smile, "You remember who I am?"

Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment, "Well yeah, you were supper strange. That level of creepy is a little hard to forget."

"I'm here! Sorry I am late. This interview went over and then I had to do some stupid promo with the street racers. Thank god traffic wasn't bad or I would have missed it all together," laughed an extremely familiar voice. As quickly as the others had come so did she; the infamous Sakura Haruno. She wore her hair in a fancy up do and an extremely classy looking black business suit with a deep red silk tank. Without glancing at anyone else she turned to Shino, "Shino! I didn't think you would make it either. Did you get your info about the voting scandal?"

Shino nodded happily, "And Naruto remembered who I was."

He stated the fact like it was more important than a million dollar voting scandal that could effect the lives of thousands of people in the area. But then again Shino had always been forgotten and this was probably going to be the highlight of his week. So patting his back and conveying as much affection as possible Sakura's face beamed, "See, I told you not to give up!"

But before anyone could speak another word Itachi was standing before her. He had somehow moved across the room without anyone noticing. Grabbing her hand he placed it to his lips and smiled, "It is a pleasure Haruno. I felt that you would be stopping by soon what with Naruto's declaration."

Sakura glanced at her hand then back at Itachi. Her first instinct was to pull back and slap him but her television etiquette knew not to make someone like Itachi upset. He was his mother's son after all and that woman was nothing short of a hornet's nest that just got sprayed with water. "Well if it was up to me I would just let them date. It's a little obvious how much they love each other but rules are rules. Besides," Sakura glanced towards Hinata, "Master was more upset that someone hadn't told her they were dating Jiraya's student than the fact that it was announced on national television. Really Hinata? Naruto?"

Hinata crossed her arms and gave a small pout, "I can't help who his master is."

It was clear that Hinata dating Naruto was some form of offense but no one outside of the immediate circle of friends was even slightly aware of what that was, except perhaps Itachi. It appeared he knew something more than the average instructor. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he contemplated the situation further. To be honest Itachi and him had very little in common. Itachi had been trained by the family and had taken on their beliefs and methods. Sasuke had taken his own route and had isolated himself from many relatives by going to learn under Orochimaru. They shared a gym and that was where most of their relationship remained. They annoyed the crap out of each other and tolerated what the other knew but that was it.

Perhaps that was why he was so confused with the way he was treating the pink haired woman. He had not seen Itachi in anything other than an instructor role in years. His elder brother obviously had some form of relationship with the newscaster. He had never seen Itachi move across the room like that for any woman other than their mother. Had they dated? Were they dating? Was that why Itachi had agreed to help him train? For a woman?

Tenten, who was not privy to Sasuke's thoughts and therefore not bogged down by his spiraling thinking, was still next to Neji as she tried to think of what must be going through her own Master's mind. After giving it a few seconds she couldn't help the smirk, "But come on Hinata, you dating Naruto is a pretty low blow. That would be like Sakura dating Sasuke. She would rather die, or heaven forbid give up drinking, than let that happen."

Itachi seemed to stumble at the statement but Sakura, who was still rubbing the back of her hand on her thigh, ignored it. In fact, she ignored everyone's statements when it came to her dating Sasuke Uchiha.

While she was gliding in and out of her thoughts in an attempt to stay out of the Sakura and Sasuke conversation both her and the nearly forgotten reporter walked over towards the group, Itachi not a foot behind them. Hinata was about to concede defeat but Sai decided that this too was something he knew about and was therefore privy to the conversation, "I have only known the Hag for a bit but she is more than a little protective over Sakura. I feel the response would be much worse if she decided to date the Uchiha. It is possible that she would cause the world to implode on itself out of pure frustration."

Sakura sat down next to Neji and Sai, effectively blocking off Itachi, and rolled her eyes. She had tried to stay out of it, no really, she had, "Please, he is so not my type. The world has nothing to worry about. " She smoothed out her pant suit, looking for any wrinkles, as she tried to maneuver her feet so her heels would not be digging into her legs.

Sasuke, who usually did not pay attention to women because they were plentiful and willing so therefore below his immediate notice, couldn't help the look of inquiry on his face. While he did not think that every woman in the world wanted him he knew from Naruto's past obsession with her that she dated fighters. He quickly blew it off and deemed it unimportant as soon as it crossed his mind. She was probably dating his brother already anyways, not that it particularly mattered to him.

It appeared that not everyone saw it as unimportant as he did because even Hinata the sweet and silent one scoffed at that, "Not your type? If you looked up your type in the dictionary there would be a picture of him."

Sakura, like a mature individual who was raised on strict principles like she had been stuck out her tongue as her act of defiance, "I only like decent fighters who care about the art form and not the scoreboard. I don't _do_ mainstream wannabees."

Kiba slapped his legs while laughing, "Those be fightin words little missy! I'm not sure who should take up the challenge though, Uchiha or the Hag. His for the insult or her for the idea about dating him. Either way a war is brewing if you keep talking like that. I say you date him just to see the Hag's response. I bet you he'd show up dead with Orochimaru suspiciously being the prime suspect. She'd set him up real good."

Sakura scowled, "Can we please just concentrate on how we can help Naruto not get beat to a bloody pulp instead of incriminating murder scenes? He is going to need the help if he is going to survive."

More than a little miffed that the conversation had turned back to her situation Hinata looked towards Shino, who had decided that the safest spot was next to Itachi, for sympathy. She was incredibly grateful that he was there next to her. Out of everyone in the bunch he was probably the most sympathetic to the situation. Under normal circumstances Shino would go sit next to Sai but he seemed to enjoy messing with Sakura recently. There was no reason to be around that level of violence unless necessary or a willing participant. Hinata latched her arm around Shino's raincoat covered bicep and frowned, "They are doing it again."

Shino pulled her close and patted her hair in a comforting manner, "Jiraya's student? Really?"

Hinata yanked herself out of his grip and walked over to the still baffled Naruto. Standing next to him she tried to look reassuring. "Just remember your form and stay clam. She will have more than a little fun in this so don't let her get to you. She promised she wouldn't kill you so at least we know that."

Naruto glanced down at his girlfriend with a more than baffled look, "Wait, so I need to fight this master chick?" His face looked appalled but it was unclear why. After a few seconds of steady breathing Naruto tried to explain himself. He had always been more than a little extroverted and talking things out loud to himself was just one of the ways that he coped. So in a very loud voice he began his rant, "I cant hit a girl! And she'd have to be like 70 in order to be a real master! She'd be like a grandma with a cane! I can't fight an unwrapped mummy!"

"What did you just say?!"

Tenten, Hinata and Sakura all dropped into an immediate bow position when they heard the voice. Their foreheads touched the ground, they rested on the balls of their feet and they did not dare look up. In stepped, through the same doorway, a busty blonde haired woman who appeared to be in her mid 30's. She wore and old fashioned kimono cover and her hair hung in low pig tails. Her arms were crossed, which effectively pushed her breasts up even higher thus making them the size of balloons, and her glare was firmly in place.

Jiraya, who would recognize that particular breast size no matter how long it had been, stuttered, "Tsundae?"

Naruto's oblivious gene seemed to be kicking in because he crossed his arms defiantly and scoffed to the new comer, "They want me to fight some old lady hag to prove myself? Can you believe that? Like some girl could ever beat me, let alone one whose got wrinkles and probably has fake teeth."

The woman's left eyebrow rose, "Wrinkles?"

Naruto nodded, "Well duh. No girl is pretty once they get past 50 let alone however old this grandma lady is. She's probably saggy and stuff. I bet-" and then he fell over. Jiraya had effective stopped his student by pushing him halfway across the room and landing face first on the blue mat.

"Tsunade!" yelled Jiraya in half surprise and half in an attempt to cover up the idiotness of his student.

Orochimaru, who was as equally surprised as his colleague, stepped forward and bowed a small bow, "It has been many years Tsuande. I see you have aged well."

Tsunade assessed the two men before her as she tried to ignore Orochimaru's snide comment about her age. She wasn't an idiot. He was a sadistic little fucker and he knew she had always been sensitive about her looks, "I see you both picked students as arrogant as you. Tell me were they hard to find or were they naturally drawn to your similar presence?"

Jiraya laughed while scratching the back of his head, "I see the years have been just as nice to you, three students huh? Makes you feel a bit old watching the younger ones run around doesn't?"

Tsunade stiffened, "It appears both student and master like pointing out my age! Do you want another hole in your chest or was that locker room experience not enough for you?"

Jiyara took a step back as he threw up his hands in defense. He always had a particular skill at pissing off Tsunade. Orochimaru would normally just let him suffer and Sarutobi always said something about a lesson needing to be learned. He learned his lesson all right, the woman was freaking crazy. "No! You look great! Like you are in your twenties! I can't even make out the plastic surgery!"

Steam could have come out of her nostrils for how angry she was at that statement.

Sarutobi, who was beyond excited to see the last of his three favorite students quickly stepped forward and smiled a true smile. He was well into his eighties and had a memory that was decaying by the minute but he would be damned before he ever forgot her. Stepping around the bowing ladies he reached in for a hug. Tsunade was always happy to see her own Master and couldn't help the smile, "I see you are still with these fools."

Sarutobi laughed, "And I see you still hate them as much as ever."

Tsunade pulled away and laughed, "I have never been one to tolerate idiots and both are rather stupid. Nothing was worse than watching those two compete with each other."

Sarutobi patted her back and let loose another laugh though a cough cut it off before he could fully enjoy it. After assuring Tsunade that it was just him getting older and his body was paying the price even if his mind was not he resumed his former seat on the ground. He did stare briefly at the three women on the floor that were still bowing as respectfully as possible. While raising a brow and winking just slightly he nodded a brief approval of her choice in students. He was more than certain that they hadn't moved an inch since she entered the immediate vicinity.

While she stepped back Naruto had finally regained his footing and gotten over the shock of being tossed to the floor like a disobedient pup. He all but marched up to the unfamiliar woman, one who he was starting to get seriously annoyed at, and all but jumped into her face. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Sasuke, who was already on his feet and hoping that the situation resolved itself quickly because it was already bothersome, could have smacked his friend, "This is Tsunade you idiot, Jiraya and Master Orochimaru's old teammate or do you not listen to anything anyone tells you?"

Naruto blinked a few times as it registered but it wasn't until Sasuke once again called him a dobe that he seemed to come back to reality, "But Jiraya said she was like super pretty."

Tsunade's eyes flashed a vibrant red before she hurled him across the room with one hand. He landed with a loud thump against the wall and could immediately feel the bruising that was forming around his back muscles. He slumped to the ground, tried to regain his bearings and to be honest, a little bit of his masculinity.

No one noticed as Kiba was silently handed the twenty dollars he had bet with Sai earlier.

Instead everyone was focused on the woman as she walked up to Hinata. "Stand," she commanded.

Immediately all three girls rose to their feet as they assessed what was happening. Tsunade circled Hinata once, giving the girl a quick look over before glancing at Naruto. It seemed her decision was made, "No."

Hinata's face visibly fell but she did not argue with her Master. Instead she nodded and tried to hold it together. Sakura, who knew from her experience with Naruto on the air that his big mouth was sure to get in the way of their relationship wanted to comfort her friend like nothing else but knew she needed to wait.

Sarutobi on the other hand felt different. He immediately stood up, bones creaking and all, to dissuade his former student, "Tsunade Naruto has always had a big mouth. Do not punish Hinata for that."

Tsunade could have rolled her eyes at his foolishness. Instead of walking away like she had planned Tsuande decided to explain herself, "Listen, the brat may have pissed me off but that is not the reason why I said no. Yes he is Jiraya's little toy and yes I would like to rip his bright patch of hair from his obviously spray tanned body but that has very little with my reasoning. If I can let Tenten date the stick up his ass Hyuuga then I can let Hinata date the idiot over there. But my girls only go to the best. Neji needed to prove his worth to me and so will every other man that comes their way. Naruto did not live up to the standards I have set and that is unacceptable."

Sarutobi seemed the most interested in this decision, but it could have been due to Jiraya being busy as he helped Naruto stand, because he kept going, "What does he need to do to prove himself to you?"

Tsunade watched as Naruto re righted himself and pushed his Master off of him. He glared a deep glare at the woman who was keeping the love of his life away from him. And why Hinata was going along with this was a mystery. He wouldn't care bat shit if Jiraya said he couldn't be with someone so why would she? "Screw this Hinata, lets go!"

Hinata did not even turn to look at him but instead tried to reason with her Master, "Please reconsider."

Tsunade's mouth twitched downwards as she saw the most obedient out of the three become defiant. Still, she loved those girls like her own children even if she was most partial to Sakura, and signed dramatically, "Really Hinata you are acting like I don't give second chances. I mean how many times did I kick Hyuuga's ass before I let him within ten feet of Tenten?"

Tenten giggled but quickly covered it up when she realized the sound was not only in her head. Despite the laugh she knew Tsunade wouldn't care. She was only strict like this, as surprising as it was, was when it came to men. One could only guess that she had been burned before. From her attitude towards her former teammates she could only assume it was by one of them. What Tenten was more worried about was Neji's response. He would not be happy to find out that she found his pursuit more than entertaining once the fear of never seeing him again faded.

Tsunade sighed dramatically and massaged her temples. When she reopened them an idea was already beginning to form. She would give the whelp another chance but it was going to take a lot to impress her. They all had come out to the dojo so it was only logical that it happen now. Besides the girls would never let her live it down if she flat out refused Naruto's pursuit. Well fine, but she was going to give them hell. "He can earn my approval but he will have to work his ass off to get it. Jiraya is not going to help his pathetic case. If he thinks he is the best then fine, let him prove it."

Instead of turning towards Naruto the older woman faced the entire room. With a vindictive gleam in her eyes she smiled, "In fact I believe I am feeling more than generous today so Itachi will be given another chance as well."

Tenten immediately felt her body lurch forward in a rage, "No way that pompous ass gets near her! He is everything we hate about this sport. And that is exactly how he views it, as a sport and not a way of life. He is conceited and could care less about the art form. He is like every other Uchiha. A good for nothing trophy with no true talent!"

Her words seemed to have little effect on the group, though Sasuke was more than a little interested in her perspective on his family. It appeared that from Sakura's earlier statement, and Tenten's, that they not only understood his clan but also associated him with them. While Sasuke was taking in Tenten's words and glancing over at the pink haired reporter, Itachi smirked as his eyes all but glowed red with determination, "I appreciate the opportunity."

Hinata stepped forward as well, "Please Master, the Uchiha way should have nothing to do with us or our style."

Tsunade snapped her fingers and hushed her student, "A deal is a deal and it would be unfair for me to give Naruto a second opportunity and not Itachi. He has expressed an interest for far longer than the blond haired brat."

Sakura growled, "This is hardly fair."

Tsunade waved her hand, "None the less it is the decision I am making."

Hinata, despite the threat of Itachi looming, saw the small light of hope that Tsunade was giving her and Naruto for their happy future. Stepping forward again she tried to cut in, "So what do you want them to do? Fight each other?"

Tsunade shook her head as she walked over towards where Naruto was still standing. As she went past Jiraya she grabbed Naruto by the upper arm and yanked him forward. Pulling him to the center of the ring, where Itachi had also moved towards, she pushed him forwards, "Hell no. What would them fighting each other prove? That they are superior to one another? Now how would that help me? No, I want them to fight the best while also proving to my halfwit ex-teammates that I am still better than all of them. They will be fighting Sakura."

Sakura could feel her jaw dropping as she tried not to kill her Master in cold blood. "Excuse me!"

Naruto's face scrunched up, "I can't fight her! She's a girl, and has pink hair, and weights what, maybe 100 or 105? I'd crush her!"

Sakura felt her temper rise at his condescending words but let it pass. This was not a time for the evil queen in her to make an appearance. If she wanted to get out of this fight she needed to be smart about it, "Sure, what he said."

Tsunade just rolled her eyes at Sakura's submissive act. She was not getting out of this one, it held to much opportunity to be amusing. "If Naruto or Itachi can pin you for fifteen seconds then congratulations, I am impressed. You were always the best out of my students and I will personally bless anyone who can get by you." Tsunade walked back over to the edge of the mat as she grabbed said favorite student by the arm.

Sakura yanked it back as her disgust crossed her face, "I will not date that poser. He is worse than his brother! And I am an advocate of Hinata being happy so I concede to Naruto."

It should have been over with that. Sakura had given up to Naruto and publically declared her lack of interest in Itachi. Unfortunately things never really worked out the way people planned them.

Tsunade did something unexpected. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out what looked to be a key ring. Grabbing a gold one with an emerald flower painted on it from the pile she shook it mischievously, "They are a team Sakura. If one wins so does the other. If Itachi or Naruto manage to do the impossible and pin you, or you concede, then I give my copy of your house key to Itachi. I will also have Shino print a nice little article about your upcoming engagement with said man. I wouldn't want you deciding the outcome of the winner just because you disagree. Naruto has to prove himself Sakura and I will do what I have to in order to make my point."

Sakura was floored. Glancing over to the two men standing behind her Master she grimaced. Itachi was slime who only cared about endorsements and the monetary value of his name and she would rather be six feet under than ever be affiliated with him. Tsunade shoot her out of her musings as she made a statement about there being no rules in this match. It was skill versus skill. With one swift push from said Master she was quickly tumbling onto the mat. Her heels dug into the blue padding as her eyes widened.

"Go!"

And then it started. Itachi was the first to move, probably because Naruto was still trying to figure out what was going on. He quickly jabbed to her right and did a quick roundhouse to her left. Sakura instinctively dodged and pushed herself out of the way. Turning to Tsunade she yelled, "He is warmed up, I'm in a work suit and Naruto has been in intense training for hours. This is hardly a fair fight!"

Tsunade laughed happily while walking around the mat, "And what better conditions could Naruto have to prove himself in than these?"

Sakura grumbled as she did a quick tumble to the right after blocking another hit. Pushing herself further away she glanced towards Naruto as the situation dawned on him. Her movements were giving away her martial arts nature and it was clear that Naruto had figured that out. She may just be dodging and weaving but she was quick and precise in her movements. The same passionate glow illuminated his eyes as the prospect of a fair second chance hit him. Shoot. She honestly didn't know what to do. She wanted Hinata to be happy, she really did, but was it worth having Itachi in her life? Was it worth being affiliated with everything she hated about endorsed martial arts?

Sarutobi shook his head, "Banking on your students pride or dislike of the Uchiha? I see you have thought this through by threatening her with something she cannot run from."

Tsunade laughed, "This is no different than how you trained me with those lumps over there. You agreed that the winner would pick the room arrangements at that Kyoto final. I had to share a room with Jiraya for two freakin weeks thanks to you!"

Sarutobi just chuckled while Tsunade scowled at the memory. "I know Sakura and I'd bet my entire sake stash that she flattens them like bugs. Her pride as a warrior and her independence won't let her be beaten."

Sarutobi shook his head, "You would make Naruto and Hinata suffer?"

Tsunade didn't dignify that with a response but instead continued to pay attention to the fight. Sarutobi, who knew Tsunade was trickier than she appeared watched her gaze. To his surprise she was not following the pink haired reporter's form but the powerhouse blonde. Every movement, every twitch was being calculated. She did not even give Itachi a second glance despite his more aggressive moves on her earlier proclaimed favorite student.

So he decided to watch. Maybe there was more to this match than torturing her students.

In the mean time Sakura was still trying to figure out how to respond. To be honest she could probably dodge them for a bit longer but she was itching to get a punch in. But that would be making her statement and she couldn't do that to Hinata. While she was thinking a silent 'sorry," and an 'I'll make this quick' was heard in her ear when suddenly a very tanned arm came right in Sakura's way and threw her off balance. Her heels, which were very high and keeping her from stabilizing her footing, pushed her backwards and she fell. Rolling to her side and out of the way of a foot Sakura all but summer salted right afterwards while pushing herself off of the ground from another attack. Blocking an uppercut and slicing combo from Naruto followed by a powerhouse kick from Itachi Sakura stumbled backwards and landed straight on her ass.

While still on the ground she glanced at Hinata's conflicted face. She couldn't do it. She couldn't take this from Hinata. The girl was head over heals for Naruto and she would do what she had to do in order to make sure they could be happy. If that met stopping any rumors and repeatedly kicking Itachi out of her house then so be it. She would manage. She would survive.

Placing her hands down and bracing herself for the impending attack Sakura was immediately blindsided and pushed face first into the ground. The force of the throw had her seeing flashes of white and she grimaced about the future headache. Her arms were thrown behind her back and she felt an almost back breaking weight pulsing on top of her.

Itachi always was a dirty fighter.

But instead of pushing him off like her instincts told her to Sakura let her body go lax in defeat. While it killed her she would lose this fight and take it like her Master had taught her. On the chin and with a glare. So it was with incredible surprise that Sakura suddenly heard a voice coming from the mat, "That's an illegal move Uchiha! You could break her back with that much force and that positioning. Get the hell off her!" Much to her surprise it was her blond opponent who yelled it.

Itachi didn't dignify that with a response but tightened his hold even more at the prospect of winning actually being within his grasp.

Naruto continued to yell and it looked like he was about to charge Itachi and tackle him to the ground in order to free Sakura.

Hinata had other plans. She immediately stood and yelled to her friend, "Kick is ass Sakura! Naruto and I will find another way to make it work!"

That was all it took. Hinata's consent was all Sakura needed. She was no longer the prim and pretty little newscaster who tilted her head just right and had hair that curled perfectly. She no longer had to be the little girl that the boys adored and the men dreamed about. No, she was now a fighter who had a reason for winning. She was the freaking Evil Queen with a vengeful agenda and a bitchy attitude. With a look that could only be described as terrifying she went into action. Locking her right leg around Itachi's calf and her semi free arm around his neck Sakura quickly thrusted upwards and flipped him like a pancake onto the floor. Unhooking her body from his she stood and glanced at Hinata, "You sure? I'll throw the match if you want me to."

Hinata shook her head, "I don't want that man anywhere near you."

Naruto, who had never seen a move like that pulled off by someone so much smaller than her opponent and somehow still making it work, shook his head to clear his mind. He smirked and glanced at the pinket. It really was a shame that he was so infatuated with Hinata already because Sakura was like the perfect woman to him right now. After internally reminding himself why he loved the Hyuuga so much Naruto verbally agreed with her, "I want to prove myself to your master the right way. I want her to accept me because she knows I can take care of Hinata, not because Itachi is good at cheap tricks."

Sakura nodded her own silent approval as she glanced at said talked about man. Drawing in a breath and coming to a silent conclusion Sakura agreed. Kicking off her high heels to the side mat and stripping off her coat Sakura began to take the match seriously. She hadn't stretched today but she knew that wouldn't matter. She routinely kept up with her practice and was just as flexible as she was a year ago. Luckily the adrenaline was already rushing through her at the thrill of a real fight, let alone one to keep Itachi away, and she knew her body wouldn't betray her. "Alright, I'm ready to kick your ass now."

Sakura smiled, Naruto smirked and Itachi lunged. Knowing that they had no formal training as a team Sakura felt it in her bones that they would fight independently of each other. That was a huge advantage that she would be sure to use. Sakura immediately grabbed Naruto's incoming arm and thrusted it into Itachi's face with a palm push. She heard the crunch and knew that he would have a broken and bloody nose from that one. With an internal smirk she imagined the perfect Itachi with a crooked nose. She wished she had more time to think about it but she had a fight to win and would therefore have to laugh about it later.

Drawing her leg up she caught Naruto straight into his gut while still holding his arm from when she had forced his attack on Itachi. He physically lifted off the ground with the force of her kick. Naruto somehow managed to push his body around mid fall and place his feet back under him. Sakura watched as he landed but had little time to pay attention to it seeing as Itachi was not happy about the blood trickling down his face. Well screw that, he had tried to break her back in two with an illegal move. He could handle a broken nose from a move that was completely legal. His temper was showing though as he came at her with an extremely dangerous combo that would have left her black and blue while bleeding all over if she had not been so good at dodging.

Flipping backwards and landing on the balls of her feet she did a handstand flip over his head landing a few inches behind him. Dropping to the floor she swiftly kicked his legs out from under him. Sakura didn't have time to relish in the fall though because Naruto was once again hot on her trail. He was aiming for her feet. She could only guess that he realized her agility, being one of her strong points, was not good for him. If he could mess up her footwork he had a much better chance of catching her unawares. To bad for him her agility was not her biggest asset, her strength was.

The moment he went in for a debilitating kick Sakura went in for a knock out punch to his stomach. He immediately flew back a good couple of feet and stumbled until he landed on his back. Without a moments pause, but obviously in pain and seeing stars, he quickly flipped himself back up with only the strength of his arms and abs as he readied himself in the newly perfected stance. She watched as he charged but immediately felt her arms lock behind her as Itachi grabbed her in the middle. Caught of guard but not without instincts Sakura kicked her feet into the air and used Naruto as what could only be described as running board while she used his momentum to flip herself over Itachi. Naruto landed with a thump on the ground about the same time Sakura landed on the mat effortlessly. Kicking her right foot out Sakura pushed Itachi right on top of him and another 'umph' sounded as the two collided.

Sakura, knowing that Itachi would not be happy about that move, quickly regained her stance and evened out her breathing. Both men pushed themselves off the floor and stood a good three feet away from each other but still in proper form.

"Enough!" yelled the obviously pleased voice. Tsunade had seen more than enough to make her decision and as much as she enjoyed watching her prized student pummel everyone else in sight, which Sakura had clearly been doing, they did need to finish sometime today. The mandatory five minutes had long passed and she had given more then enough time to the two fighters to prove what she already knew.

All three warriors turned towards her as she stepped out onto the mat. Sakura bowed at the waist with her hands at her sides, as was expected, and Naruto and Itachi bowed a half bow. She watched each of them with a critical eye. Turning towards Itachi first she scowled. "You are as I member. Just as bad as your father and somehow even more arrogant. I'm pretty sure that her kicking your ass twice now should be enough for you to know that you are in no way good enough for her. Scram you little Uchiha rat."

Itachi, who was obviously not pleased with the assessment, growled as he picked up his shoes and marched out of the dojo. While doing so he wiped the blood from his nose and smeared it across the door as if that would somehow show just how angry he was. While he was not normally one to show his emotions he was beyond furious. He had apparently been hanging around his brother for no reason for the last few weeks. That was not only time wasted but he did not even steal the prize at the end of the tunnel.

He was not given a second glance though as he walked out. Instead all eyes were on Naruto who was beyond nervous at this point. He knew that Sakura had effectively beaten him. He didn't know how in the world someone so small could have so much power in one body but it was clear that she did. Scratching his head nervously he suddenly felt very small and a heck of a lot more respect for this woman called Tsunade. She had been the one to teach Sakura and was therefore a kick ass fighter herself. And Neji had fought her? He suddenly felt a heck of a lot more respect for Neji as well.

Giving him one more glance Tsunade gave her assessment, "You rely completely on your strength and have no wit about you. Everything was a head on fight and you forget there is power in deception. Still, you are a more passionate and trustworthy kid than I gave you credit for. You might be good enough for her, but I still haven't decided. The way you stood up to that mangy weasel about hurting my girl says something. I'll give you another chance Uzumaki. One month after the finals, so two months from now. That should give you enough time to heal and practice from the last rounds. If you can stay away for those two months and you still feel like trying I will give you your five minutes in the ring with me. If you can impress me then and prove that you deserve Hinata I will give my blessing."

Naruto's face flushed in excitement. He didn't know why her approval, even if it was a semi-approval, suddenly meant a lot. "So like, she's mine?"

Tsunade suddenly had a tick on the right side of her face as she tried not to picture Jiraya. Bopping the young idiot on the head she yelled, "Women are not possessions!"

Naruto grabbed his head but continued to smirk, "You'll see! I'll prove myself to you! Believe it!"

Sakura stepped forward and patted the warrior on the back, "Bring some sake, she'll marry you two herself if you get the good stuff."

If Naruto had known how true that was he would have bought an entire liquor store for the woman, but unfortunately for him he didn't. As Sakura passed him he gave her a proper bow of respect, while of course checking out her ass because hey, she was freakin hot. Mid bow he saw a shadow step in front of him. To his surprise it was Neji, "You did well. Sakura has her master's evil streak and you managed to not die. I have more respect for you than I do most."

Sakura turned and glared, "I am not evil."

Kiba laughed, "Can we get her a scepter and a crown or something? Or a crow! Evil queens always have crows following them around and doing their dirty work. Or maybe we should stick with the super villain theme and get her a cape?"

Hinata giggled, "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Villains tend to have more interesting stories than superhero's."

Slowly moving off the mat Sakura walked over towards her previously kicked off articles of clothing. Ignoring her friends, because she honestly wasn't that bad, she completely bypassed the situation, "Well I'm out. I've got to go over my schedule for tomorrow and prepare for the rest of the week. I have to do an interview with that Gaara guy's trainer tomorrow and I don't know nearly enough about his style to ask the good questions."

Neji quickly moved as well. Grabbing her jacket he handed it to her, "Inform me if there is anything I don't know about him."

Sakura scoffed while placing her shoes back on the correct feet, "As if Neji. When do I ever give you inside information?"

Tenten grabbed Neji's arms and pulled him towards her, "Can we try the restaurant down the road? I hear it has great reviews. A new chef named Choiji is working there after the old one got fired for sexual harassment."

Neji growled, "He would rot in jail if it were up to me."

Tenten laughed as she motioned both Kiba and Sai to follow. After they began their way out Tenten continued her conversation, "I think him landing belly side up on the table was enough of a punishment Neji. Seriously, you fighters are so freaking possessive!"

Sakura listened as she placed her coat on. After turning towards the group, and already motioning to Shino to come with so he could help with the research, she bowed towards the remaining group, "It was great meeting you all and I hope to see you in a few months Naruto. I think you guys make a cute couple."

Grabbing Shino's arm she waved goodbye and booked it out of the room to work on her interview questions. Tsunade nodded to Hinata once which was apparently enough of an indicator. Hinata ran up to Naruto and kissed him on the nose, "I'll wait for you Naruto. I'll always wait for you."

She hugged him quickly and ran out the doors to catch at least one group of her friends. Naruto smiled his dumbfounded smile as he waved absent-mindedly. Tsunade rolled her eyes as she attempted to ignore her old teammates. "Two months Uzumaki. I'm expecting you to go all out, not this pansy shit you displayed today. I mean really, she took on both of you and was still skipping out of here like a little girl in pigtails."

Stepping outside she ignored his screaming comment from the blonde and disappeared with the rest of the group. She was more than prepared to give Naruto the ability to date her student, hell, she had been today. But she knew that the value of something increased exponentially when you had to work for it. Smiling to herself she though about how much fun she had that day. As she walked to her car she stopped suddenly. It had been a good day, and extremely good day. Despite seeing Orochimaru and Jiraya she was privy to Sakura beating the living crap out of Itachi and Naruto. Looking around warily she tried to ignore that gut quenching feeling in her stomach. She ignored that little voice in her head that reminded her that even if was it hypothetically, she had won a bet. She had said Sakura would win. Tsunade never won bets. She only won bets when something unimaginably horrible was about to happen.

On the inside of the dojo a very different conversation was happening but one more than related to Tsunade's dreaded feeling. While Naruto and Jiraya assessed the damages done to Naruto in the fight Sasuke took a different approach. Instead he walked over to Orochimaru and did something he was usually very wary of. Standing next to his master Sasuke started a conversation, "Sakura Haruno?"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow as he contemplated his student's newfound curiosity. "She is much like Tsunade though there are definite differences. She shows more control than Tsunade ever did."

Sasuke nodded, "She is interesting."

Orochimaru glanced at Sasuke in slight wonder, "But she does not find you that way."

Sasuke didn't answer at first. Instead he reviewed the day's events and the feelings they had evoked in him. Perhaps Naruto was onto something. Perhaps he wasn't as big of an idiot as he thought, "She thinks I am like my family." He said with slight disgust.

Orochimaru scoffed, "You are better than they could ever be and that is all you have ever tried to prove."

Sasuke glanced towards the door. "Maybe it's time I prove myself to someone else."

Orochimaru was more than positive in that very moment that Sasuke was talking about both Master and student in that one phrase. It appeared that the young man had finally found some curiosity and maybe even a real reason to be in the ring. A reason to fight outside of his petty family dispute. He was going to win the attention of one Sakura Haruno. And what's more, he was going to make sure she reciprocated it.

If one thing could be said about Sasuke Uchiha it was that when he made himself a goal he always reached it.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura hurriedly turned around as she tried to figure out why her senses were tingling. They were telling her to knock the funny man into oblivion for just a bit of silence. Sai had attempted to engage her in a physical brawl, he claimed it inspired him when she hit him, but it hadn't worked. Despite the sickness of that statement she was a little flattered by his enthusiasm but at the same time wasn't stupid. She wasn't about to go at it with someone who didn't prove to be a real threat. What kind of evil queen would that make her? Honestly, minions were sent to deal with the rift raft. The all powerful dark ones only stepped out for the real confrontations. Which is why she was more than ecstatic when Neji had jumped to her defense.

"You are lucky I did not dismember your head Sai," he spoke while glaring at the still oblivious artist.

Maybe oblivious wasn't the best word though, since he was trying to rub the dirt off his face. Sai had of course been stupid enough to say something sexual about her in front of Neji, her personal guard. Briefly she wondered what that made Neji in Kiba's little fairlytale. The wayward knight that fell in love with the evil enchantress and had therefore abandoned all his ethical codes to please her? No, her and Nei had never dated? How about the adopted like brother that she had been raised with since childhood with no magical capabilities but one that was completely dedicated to his surrogate family and seeing her rule the country? That must be it. The assassin and personal guard brother.

Maybe she should write a book, ya, that would work. Huffing in annoyance she turned towards Neji and Sai. The first was still glaring and the second appeared to be viewing the mud in a new light. Did he think it was ink or something? "So let's get that ice cream, shall we?"

Neji rolled his eyes while grabbing her arm, "You have strange preferences. Who eats ice cream in the middle of winter?"

Sakura clicked her tongue in mock annoyance, "Don't mess with the tastebuds. You're just hissy because I am interrupting your training."

Neji continued to drag her towards the stand, his grip firm, while displaying his displeasure, "You said you were going to show me something to help with my technique."

Sakura, never one to be bossed around unless it was Tsunade, dug her heels into the ground and smiled, "I am, its called a break. To much focus leaves you single minded and unable to see unexpected outliers. Honestly Neji, you haven't left the dojo in four days."

Sighing he tried to contain himself, "Two more competitors from Sound have joined the competition. I must be prepared."

"Neji!" yelled a familiar voice followed by an out of breath breathing pattern. Immediately said man watched as his cousin came running up to him. Stopping not a foot in front of him, ever the polite one, Hinata's red tinted cheeks seemed to glow. "I didn't think Sakura would actually get you out of the dojo!"

Her shoulders shrugged and her heavy coat all but engulfed her. Instead of acknowledging her comment he reached out and correctly folded the corner of her coat. Glaring at it, for it had dared to be out of place and therefore had the possibility of not keeping his cousin warm, he patted it down, "What are you doing here Hinata?"

Hinata quickly looked at Sakura, "I told Sakura I was craving something sweet and she invited me. She mentioned that you and Sai might be coming but I didn't think it would happen."

Neji quickly looked back at the gloomy looking artist who had yet to speak. Once he realized that multiple pairs of eyes were on him he brightened into an incredibly false smile, "Sakura, your boobs are lopsided."

The next thing everyone knew Sai was back on the ground his jacket covered in snow and mud from his questionable fall. It could have been her, it really could have. Sakura had a temper where sometimes she instinctively hurt idiots without really thinking about it. Personally she blamed them, the idiots of course, for testing her patience. Then again if she wanted to hurt him he would be far worse off than a little dirt. So no, it must have been Neji.

Sai spit out some mud and huffed. Nope, he would be happier if it was her who attacked him. Smiling briefly she turned back towards her friends. "I know I know, ice cream in the winter is crazy. But I felt it would be worth it. They are legendary for their stuff. Did you know the prime minister of England came here just last month?"

Suddenly a small buzzing noise filled the space and Hinata's face turned bright red. It was partially out of embarrassment and partially out of adoration. Gabbing her phone from her pocket Hinata didn't even bother to keep the smile from her face. Neji watched with what could only be described as a brother's worry, "Be careful."

Hinata giggled while she replied, "We are allowed to text, just no talking. And he has been so busy training we usually only get a few in a day."

Sakura smiled, "Come on Neji, she loves him. Give her a break."

Neji shook his head as they continued walking through the park towards the hot chocolate stand. Well, it was normally hot chocolate during this time of year but Sakura had found out that for one day per week they put out some of their best ice cream. "I am not the one he needs to worry about. Tsunade would castrate him if they were to ever break a rule. She should not tempt herself, and we all know Naruto doesn't have the best self control."

Sakura scoffed, "What are you talking about. Naruto has great self control. Just last week he ate seven gourmet fully loaded hamburgers within a 15 minute time span and raised $7,000 for cancer in the process. That is crazy control right there. He didn't even throw up until 20 minutes later when the camera's were off."

Laughing happily Sakura turned the corner to her favorite little stand while trying to suppress her glee. She watched as Sai and Hinata talked about random life events, both stepping in sink with one another. Poking Neji in the ribs she pointed toward the shop in front of them. When his eyes made contact he stopped in his tracks and scowled, "What are you doing!"

Smiling briefly she turned towards Hinata, "I think it's a few feet up, right by the frozen fountain. Mind grabbing me a vanilla?"

Before Neji could stop her Hinata had happily sprung into action. Stepping around them, and her nose halfway buried into a text again she walked over towards the stand. Midway through the text she bumped into someone's back. To happy to really care she smiled apologetically. That smile immediately dropped into shock as she tried to process what was in front of her.

Blonde hair, surprised blue eyes, whisker scars on their cheeks, smeared chocolate ice cream.

"N-na-naruto?" she squeaked.

The remainder of his ice cream cone was immediately on the ground as he lunged towards her for a hug. Her phone dropped as she squeezed him back but it was cut short. With a brief spin he dropped her to the ground, "What are you doing here?"

Hinata didn't have words to help her at the moment and just stood their stupidly, "Ice cream." Eventually came out.

"Ice-" but then he stopped. "Wait! You're here!" placing his hands on her shoulders he spun her around so she couldn't face him. Glancing around in a panic he began to breath heavily. "You didn't see me! I didn't see you!"

Realization seemed to hit Naruto like the mallet all his friends claimed he had to have been hit by as a child. Hinata was in front of him, as in touching distance. Tsuande wouldn't give him that chance to redeem himself if they broke any of her rules. If this got out he was screwed and not in the fun weekend on the beach kind of way. The tension next to the normally cheery ice cream stand suddenly matched winter temperature surrounding them.

Then it happened, the blunt and obvious truth came loudly crashing in as its personal messenger Sai spoke, "The Hag is gonna kill you when she finds out. The two of you can never be together again."

Naruto spun around, but still kept his hands on Hinata's shoulders, to face the artist who dared to crush his dreams, "That's not fair! I didn't have any idea she was gonna be here!"

Sakura, who seemed the most level headed at the moment, clapped her hands together once in an excited manner, "Exactly! Tsunade can't punish you two for harmlessly running into each other in the city. It obviously wasn't planned and there are witnesses to prove it."

Neji shook his head, "What witnesses? Tsunade knows you are bias and she wont believe anything you say about today."

"Please Neji. Everyone is always pointing out how I'm an evil queen with resources, and evil queens are not stupid. If I were somehow involved in this I would know what I was doing. Do you honestly think Sai is going to tell anything but the truth? As ridiculous and as blunt as he puts it, it's gonna be true. And you, while not against Naruto are incredibly protective of Hinata. You aren't going to let him do anything that could effect her happiness, let alone do anything inappropriate. And me? I'm just the girl who took some time off of work to invite her friends out for a treat before heading back to a horribly long meeting."

Naruto could have started convulsing with the amount of pure confusion crossing his face. Eye brows crossed he tried to put everything together, "I'm still gonna get in trouble some how, I just know it." His hands squeezed Hinata's shoulders tightly as he tried to think of a way out of this.

Neji agreed, so he voiced it. "What you said may be true but she will put together that you interviewed him. You were just talking about the money he raised for cancer and the broadcasting of it." While speaking he leaned over and picked up Hinata's previously dropped phone. He was positive Hinata would at least like the memory of Naruto's text's when this all blew up in their faces.

Sakura shook her head, "I was on the other side of town covering another report. Something about a safety equipment donation for abused women from a private benefactor. I was doing that interview ten minutes before the feed of his aired, by a rival station mind you. I had nothing to do with his report. But if that doesn't satisfy you, you are free to check in with my boss."

Neji glanced around the group while trying to find a hole in her plan. She planned this, there was no way around it. What he couldn't figure out was how. She wasn't stupid and would never call him directly, and Naruto was to much of an idiot to keep anything a secret for long. He had to give her credit though, she fulfilled the evil mastermind analogy to a 'T'. God forbid if she ever truly decided to full that role the world would cease to exist as they knew it.

While contemplating the situation he was more than surprised to see Sasuke Uchiha standing beside his blonde haired friend. He was stoic as usual, his body covered in a longer styled black jacket with a high collar which was turned down. Despite the freezing air his jacket was unbuttoned and revealed a grey collared shirt. Instead of jumping into the assessment of Sakura's evil powers, not that Neji had ever expected him to jump into anything related to a conversation, the man seemed to be almost ignoring everything in front of him. It appeared that he had nothing to say about the matter and was leaving it up to the group to decide how things were handled, "And you just somehow happened to want ice cream on this day at this time?"

Sai glanced around the group, "She hasn't had any contact with Naruto, she is smarter than most evil queens and they are often very smart. She wouldn't put Hinata in danger like that, she cares about her happiness to much. If anything were to happen, whether Sakura's fault or not, she would be like the Hag and blame herself due to the original match for his rights to mate with Hinata. She wants them together. The straight facts all point to it being random."

Neji cringed at the word mate and Naruto turned a very pretty shade of purple as he tried not to pass out from the implications. "Nothing with Sakura is ever straight facts Sai."

Hinata it seemed, due to her lack of participation in the discussion, was completely blocking out the conversation and concentrating on the feel of Naruto's hands on her shoulders.

Sakura shrugged her own shoulders while ignoring the majority of Sai and Neji's statement, "It's a Christmas miracle."

Neji could have face palmed himself it wasn't so undignified to do so, and if he wasn't still recovering from the earlier frustration. "Fine, but hands remain to themselves, constant supervision and someone stands between them at all times."

Naruto could have flown with how quickly he pulled his hands off of Hinata's shoulders.

Sakura shook her head in agreement, "I hear the northern entrance has lights. That would be a very pretty walk." Pushing Neji and Sai between them Sakura smiled, "And what better escort than one of Naruto's biggest competition and a socially clueless artist with the inability to filter his thoughts."

Hinata's face turned a deeper shade as she glanced at Naruto. This was the first time in weeks that they had been able to see each other. She hadn't seen his smile, heard his laugh or simply watched him. This could quite possibly be one of the best moments of her life. She hadn't realized how much she missed him up until now. With a shy smile she felt her blush growing as she watched the love of her life fidget with his hands.

Naruto, who was having similar thoughts, was smiling brighter than a three year old at Christmas. He had been going absolutely crazy trying focus on training and not on the phantom buzzing from his phone indicating a text. So relishing in this moment he took in a deep breath and glanced at Neji and Sai. Well at least he was able to see her even if there was a chaperone. He was Naruto Uzamaki and he could make the best out of any situation. After all, he had the bastard as a friend and still managed to live. He could do this, he could totally do this.

Almost as one they collectively took a step forward and began their walk around the park.

With a job well done Sakura turned towards the vendor, "I'll take that hot chocolate I preordered please!"

She watched as the cart stand worker pulled out a small steaming cup of hot chocolate from what could only be described as a portable oven, "We don't usually sell these on the days we sell the ice cream miss. The boss must like you."

Beside her she heard a scoff. Turning her head she debated her internal response. There were a whole list of things that scoff could have meant and she was more than a little sure it wasn't supposed to be nice. Deciding that he couldn't be as bad as she had originally thought she went with a nice one no matter how improbable it was, "That was a very nice thing you did."

Leaning up against the stand as her drink was topped with whipped cream Sasuke crossed his arms, "Well I had to get him to shut up about her somehow."

Sakura giggled as her drink was handed to her. Before she was even given the chance to pay a credit card was rang up in front of her. She watched as it was handed back to it owner. With a frown she followed the silver tinted card until it was carefully placed back in a wallet, "I can afford my own drink you know."

"And the idiot forgot to pay for his ice cream. Consider it collateral damage for the future incidences you will surely endure by him being your friend. And trust me, after this he will want you to be in his wedding," said the Uchiha while smirking.

Sakura carefully took a sip of her drink as she took in his words. She all but melted into her steaming drink as the heat seeped through her gloves. Of course, the deep baritones of his voice was another warming factor she couldn't deny. "Is that how you two became friends?"

Sasuke looked to the side of the stand, where his friend was desperately trying to sneak glances at his extremely missed girlfriend, "In a way. Be warned, you'll never get rid of him. He's like a stray dog you stupidly fed."

Sakura smiled as she tried to warm up her hands, "I guess he does seem like the unrelenting type. Like someone who would eat as many burgers as possible in 15 minutes to help raise awareness to a cause instead of quietly donating their time and money."

She was prying and she knew it. It had been beyond a shock when she was called in to do the broadcast, mainly because she was the sports girl. She was called for sports events. Low and behold one of the top competitors in the nation was the one doing the donating to the domestic violence unit along with a few of his students. She wasn't sure what inspired him to do that, especially since he was an Uchiha and therefore above helping others. If there was one thing Itachi had taught her is was that Uchiha's didn't do anything even slightly below them and everything other than promoting their image was below them.

"Time is more important than looking like an idiot," he stated simply while shrugging his shoulders.

Mentally Sakura had to agree and outwardly she voiced her reasoning, "I couldn't do what he did. When I was a kid I was pretty badly picked on, what with my strange looks and penchant for violence rather than playing with dolls. To be honest I couldn't do it because I would be afraid of what people would think. I guess some scars stay with you for your whole life." Her comment was a little personal but for some reason she felt like sharing.

Her past wasn't a secret, most people knew she wasn't well liked as a child, but most thought it was just that, the past. Only her closest friends knew how much other's opinions still effected her. For some reason though, despite him being an Uchiha, she wanted to share. Maybe it was her way of showing her appreciation for helping their mutual friends.

"I understand the effects the past can have on your present," Sasuke continued looking towards his blonde friend as he slipped on some ice, "I know that type of violence, but police don't come if they are paid enough. A woman needs to know how to defend herself when those things happen."

Sakura immediately felt her breath catch in her throat. What? Was he talking about his mother? As in Mikoto Uchiha? The queen- well, the queen of something that started with 'B' but was improper to say in front of her son? Sakura tried not to appear shocked, she really did, but there was no other explanation. "I-I'm sorry. I had no idea."

Sasuke continued to look away but didn't say anything else about the matter. Instead he glanced at her hands, "No ice cream?"

Sakura glanced at her own cup and smiled. Part of her was glad about the change in topic since she needed a few minutes to process what he had said. He had disclosed more than personal information and she got the sense he didn't do that often. Instead of dwelling on it much further Sakura concentrated on his observation. "God no, not only is it freezing outside but, to be honest ice cream is super sweet and I really need to be in the mood to eat it. Like on really hot summer days or with hot apple pie or something. Other than that a good cup of coffee or hot chocolate will do the trick for me." She glanced at his hands, "What about you?"

His eyes slowly moved over towards his own empty hand. Placing them in the fold of his pockets he shrugged, "To sweet. I don't do sweet."

Sakura found herself giggling, "Then why the ice cream shop? You were the one who suggested it after all."

He dug his hands deeper into his pockets as he tried to think of a good response. Honestly he figured women liked sweet things and that she would be happy with the choice. Well that was an epic fail and he wasn't sure how to take it. Epic fails were new to him, Sasuke Uchiha did not fail let alone epically. "A ramen stand would have been obvious, the dobe doesn't drink hot chocolate or coffee like a normal person in a coffee shop would and he's always doing stupid things, so why not ice cream in the winter."

Sakura nodded her head. He seemed like a nice man but Naruto obviously had a few screws loose in his head. Maybe too many hits to the brain? Without really committing verbally Sakura gave her opinion with a nod, "I really am surprised the two of you are friends. Rivals and best buds? Then add in your personalities? How is it you don't kill each other?"

Sasuke actually had to agree with her on that. They really didn't make any sense on paper. Naruto was an idiot and Sasuke wasn't. Naruto was loud and obnoxious while he wasn't. Naruto knew how to get a girl and Sasuke…he wasn't going to finish that sentence. "He didn't leave me alone. I got used to him after a while. Besides, he's not as bad as most people think once you know how to handle him."

Sakura could feel the smile on her face. She quickly turned towards Naruto who was trying to grab Hinata's hand but had accidentally grabbed Neji's. Really, could he not tell the difference in the hand sizes? That was a little sad. She watched as he apologized over and over again while Neji tried to prevent an unsanctioned hit outside of the ring.

"I'm sorry about Itachi," said the same cool voice as before.

In surprise she turned towards Sasuke. Did an Uchiha just apologize?

"I don't have much interaction with my family, but if I had known he was harassing you he would not have been near my dojo," said Sasuke in a deep voice that couldn't help but make her shiver. Where had that come from? Was she cold? Mentally she did a quick check only to find out that her body was getting hotter, not colder. Did she have to many layers? She had been perfectly fine before she got here. Glancing at Sasuke she saw that his cheeks had a slightly red tint to them and his hair looked a little frosted. Was Sasuke cold?

Sakura shook her head as she tried to dispel her racing thoughts, "He's been around long enough for me to know how to defend him off. I'm surprised I've never come up during a family dinner though. Your mother and him are very persistent."

Sasuke actually laughed at that, but there was no actual humor in the pitch. It was soft, but clearly powerful. She could tell from the sound and the shake of his head that it was a rare treat she was experiencing. The deep tone seemed to vibrate throughout her body and she felt that same shiver. His voice seemed to carry octaves that she was apparently particularly sensitive to. "Family dinner? I eat in the parlor while they eat together at the dinning table. I wouldn't have the slightest idea what they talk about," looking up at the sky he watched the blue light up the snow covered trees, "and once I win this tournament I'll have enough money and reputation to start my own dojo without any support from that family. Right now I am still partially supported by them, but not for long. Then I wont have to pretend that I am one of them."

Sakura's eyes widened for a second time that day. He really was different than she expected. He wasn't like his family at all, unless this was all an act. She didn't want to believe that though. He may be cold, and a little stoic but he seemed like an honest person. One who had been hurt by those that he knew he was supposed to trust and had closed himself off after that. It was probably why him and Naruto were friends.

It wasn't just that Naruto was persistent, or that Sasuke kept him around for entertainment. Naruto was honest and trustworthy. He was outspoken in his feelings and did not have the ability to betray someone. Naruto was someone that Sasuke could trust. That was why they had remained friends. Sure, there were other factors that were important but it was obvious that trust was a big deal breaker for the Uchiha.

Well at least he knew what he wanted in those around him and wasn't willing to settle for anything less. Most people guessed and pushed those needs aside when someone even slightly okay came along.

And then to have a dream like that, to be out from under his family's hold was plain inspirational. He wanted to leave that life, that chaos. It was more than admirable, it was astounding. She would ask to do a story on it if she thought he could actually agree. He of course couldn't, not with his parents still being the ones to pull the strings.

Glancing again at his tinted cheeks she felt her own body warm. Pulling her red scarf from around her neck she rubbed the expensive fabric between her fingers. It had been a present from Tsunade a few years ago. It was silky, and girly and everything that she was sure he hated but it was cold outside. He'd probably just take it off but part of her wanted to comfort him after he had disclosed so much. And she just knew someone like Sasuke Uchiha would never accept a random stranger's words as truth. She held it in her hands, reached up and draped it around his neck hoping it conveyed something to him. Taking a step back she smiled, "You looked cold, sorry if I shouldn't have done that."

His hands reached out from his pockets while fingering the embroidered tapestry and detailed ends. After a few seconds of silence, and Sakura thinking she had acted way to bold and wondering why the hell she just did what she had, Sasuke spoke, "It smells like cherries."

Her heart thumped.

It went again.

When had her heart started working so hard? She glanced at Sasuke briefly and she felt it happen one more time. Only this time it was even louder than before and had somehow picked up speed.

No!

Hell no!

Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha did not just have an intimate moment together. They had not just shared personal details about their lives that only a select few people knew. She had spent what, five minutes with the guy? She could not be falling for him. She was in no way shape or form falling for Sasuke Uchiha. She did not have a type. Sasuke Uchiha was not her type. He was not a bad boy fighter with a heart of gold underneath all that turmoil. He was an Uchiha, and Neji's rival. He was the rival to her best friend's future husband.

Oh dear god Tsunade would kill her if she even heard the thoughts that were running rampant in her mind. It would be outright murder! She was not allowed to like him! Wicked witches who fell in love with the knight never ended on the happily ever after side of things!

"I-I need to go. Tsunade will get suspicious if we are out here to long," she mumbled as abruptly as possible. Her mind was going about a million miles a minute. Stumbling a few steps back, and nearly tripping on her own feet into a pile of snow, Sakura glanced around in a panic. "I should get the others."

And with that last comment she high tailed it out of the area and straight for the northeast entrance where her friends were lazing about. Throwing what remained of the hot chocolate in a nearby trash she stepped towards her group in an attempt to make them aware of the time constraint.

Sasuke, to his credit, stayed exactly where he was as he recognized a frightened animal run away. His fingers lingered on the scarf as a smile graced his porcelain like face. He glanced to the side briefly as he watched the pink blur sprint across the park. Instead of continuing to watch her he pulled out his phone. Dialing the familiar number he waited for the individual to pick up. After two rings he was not disappointed.

"What?" said his Master's voice.

Sasuke briefly thought about his answer. He now knew what he wanted, when before it was just a question of curiosity. She was smart, sensitive, loyal, more than a little insecure and the most honest person he had ever met. It wasn't so much in her words but through her eyes. He could tell everything she was thinking, every little spark, glance and hesitancy shown like a beacon on a cold winter night. "I am going to need to impress Tsunade."

Silence was the only thing he heard, then a brief sigh, "You always chose the most difficult paths."

He glanced around the park as he looked for Naruto. The idiot was probably sulking somewhere at the loss of Hinata and he didn't know how much time he had to continue this conversation. "Speak quickly."

Unknown to Sasuke Orochimaru was in a very important meeting on the other line and was extremely restricted in what he could say due to the audience. He did manage a small smile on behalf of his single minded student. Glancing around he answered Sasuke to the best of his limited ability, "Follow your gut and try not to be a selfish brat."

And then he snapped his phone shut.

Sasuke felt his anger rise as the line went dead. He glanced at his phone as if it was the source for all of his strife and needed to be punished. Drawing in a deep breath he pressed redial. Before it could connect Naruto barreled into him. Nearly knocking them both onto the ground Naruto began to sob uncontrollably. "She's just so pretty! I forgot how beautiful she is! And then to watch her leave! I think I died, I actually died!"

And Sasuke knew he should have left when Sakura did. Nothing was worth the punishment of handling a distraught Naruto. "Idiot, get off of me."

But Naruto seemed to hold onto him even tighter as he draped himself across Sasuke's body. Stiffening he wiped his runny noise across Sasuke's jacket. In disgust Sasuke pushed him off, "She's still breathing isn't she? You'll see her again."

Naruto stumbled up to him, "But what if I don't? What if she dies? Oh my god Hinata is going to be hit by a bus and die!"

Most of Sasuke couldn't help but think that Naruto was being a paranoid extremist idiot with no sense of reality. The probability of Hinata getting hit by a bus was extremely small, let alone in the next week before the tournament happened. The very small part of Sasuke that seemed incapable of logic was having his own mini panic attack. What about Sakura? Would she be okay? What if something happened and he wasn't there to protect her? She seemed slightly oblivious to a lot of things and probably wouldn't register being in danger until she was knee deep into it. "She'll be fine."

"But what if she's not!" yelled Naruto loudly. Briefly an elderly couple glanced at the two of them, mainly the nearly rolling on the ground in agony blonde haired idiot, and quickly walked away from their bench.

Naruto's regular antics quickly forced Sasuke out of his own mind and back towards the situation. Right, Naruto and Hinata. He should probably console his friend. So in an attempt to make him feel better Sasuke did what he did extremely well, he walked away. About five steps out Naruto was immediately on his heals, "Dude! Where you just going to leave me there? That's not cool man."

Sasuke pushed his hands back into his pockets, "You were whining."

Naruto's face made a disgusting looking gesture, "Well look who is no longer planning my bachelor party. You'll be lucky to be invited you son of a bitch."

Sasuke continued to walk at the same pace. Naruto's words did not even phase him. No speeding up in anger at the possibility of being discluded and no slowing down at the prospect of his friend taking those words back. No, Sasuke Uchiha was the ultimate master in controlling his reactions. But it might have also had something to do with how well he knew his audience. Not three seconds went by before Naruto broke into laughter, "Totally kidding man, you are planning everything. We are a team you and me. That would be like ramen and ice cream not going together, or cotton candy and miso soup."

Sasuke was well aware of his more than likely planning of Naruto's entire wedding and not just the bachelor party. The moron had only been talking about it since he first laid eyes on Sakura Haruno. Of course the details had changed when the bride did. Instead of roses Naruto now wanted white lilies to be the flower theme. Apparently they would match Hinata's eyes. But instead of dreading the whole affair Sasuke suddenly saw an opportunity. Sakura would more than likely be the maid of honor. Weren't the maid of honor and the best man obligated to dance together at the wedding? Fuck, that was at least a year away, Naruto still needed to get the guts to propose. He sort of wanted a date before that.

Briefly turning his attention back to his friend Sasuke figured he should respond. While thinking things through Sasuke saw his car parked on the road and rolled his eyes indicating that he had indeed been listening to Naruto's earlier comments about food, "None of those go together. You need better taste buds."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "Its freaking better than putting tomatoes on everything. Seriously, who puts tomatoes on a salad? Better yet, who eats salad?"

Sasuke pushed the unlock button on his car and listened to the familiar beep indicating that his car was safe and sound. This park, while nice, left his car out in the open for any takers. He was extremely proud of the thing, it being one of the first things he ever bought without his parents help. Drawing up close to it he placed his hands on the door handle. Before he could get it open Naruto's voice cut him off. It wasn't its normal loud pitch, but instead possessed a somewhat sobering tone conveying the seriousness of his words. "Thanks Sasuke, for getting me and Hinata together today."

Sasuke's hand hesitated even further on the handle as he glanced at his friend. Those bright blue eyes were fixated on his own and he could feel their intensity. He had never been one for sentimentality, it really just made you emotional which in the end made you vulnerable. Drawing his gaze away he opened his door, "I don't know what you are talking about."

Naruto smirked as his friend set the stage. Neither one of them had ever been good with expressing anything other than frustration, anger or protection with each other so it was calming to know they were back to their normal banter, "Dude, you fucking hate ice cream and suddenly you want to go in the middle of winter?"

Door open and his black leather heated seats readily available Sasuke glared at his friend, "Just get in the damn car."

Naruto continued to smirk like the cat who caught the canary, blamed it on the dog and was sitting happily in front of the fire place, "You getting soft on me? You turning into a girl? I guess it makes sense what with you wearing such a girly scarf. Dude, did you turn gay on me? I know I'm freaking hot what with these abs but I got a girl already."

Then he heard the car door locks click and Sasuke's head disappeared. Eyes widening Naruto looked down at the handle. He tried to yank the black car door open but failed miserably. Then the car engine started. He banged on the tinted window, "Totally didn't mean it man. You are the fucking men of all men."

The engine revved up and the brake lights were gone as it was put into first gear, "Dude you cannot leave me here!"

With what could only be described as full throttle power Naruto was left on the side of the road as he watched the black two door race car zoom down the lanes while swerving between cars. Picking up a patch of snow and carelessly forming it into a snowball he threw it towards the car even though there was no chance of it hitting. With a huff, and more than a little disappointment that the impossible had not happened and Sasuke's car had not exploded by the force of the missed snowball Naruto yelled, "Fine! I'll take the bus. But it's your fault for wearing girls clothing!"

He turned around with another grunt. Sasuke was so damn touchy, he really was a girl underneath it all. What kind of man wears a scarf like that anyways? In fact, Naruto was surprised he hadn't teased him about it earlier. Then he stopped suddenly. Wait, Sasuke hadn't been wearing a scarf when they drove here.

Naruto looked back at the road as his eyes widened.

* * *

Orochumaru placed his phone back into his pocket while glancing at the tea placed in front of him. Briefly wondering if it was poisoned he decided to test fate and take a sip. If he died it would prove his point to never do anything nice for anyone else under any circumstance. Taking a small experimental sip, and finding it to have a pleasant mint flavor, he placed the saucer back down, "I am sorry about that, he is more demanding than one would ever presume."

The woman across from him narrowed her eyes but did not speak a word.

Orochumaru smiled at her distrust. By all accounts she shouldn't have let him walk through her door, let alone offer him something hot to drink after walking up those demon steps he was fairly certain she had poured ice over in case anyone thought to visit her. "Tsunade, at least say something."

Tsuande, the now identified woman, scoffed, "Hello, how are you? Get the hell out of my home."

Drawing the tea back towards him he suppressed a laugh. Twenty five years later and she was as stubborn as ever. Stubborn and picking a fight, it reminded him more of their years together than he thought it would, "He is not me. He is better than me."

Tsunade uncrossed her arms and glanced out the window, "Of course he is, you were pathetic in the ring."

He ignored the jab because both knew that's exactly what it was. Orochumaru was more than adequate as a fighter, in fact it was that particular skill that got him disqualified for two years. Two years that completely ruined his career and left him in a spiraling mess. Someone on their level was not allowed to participate in illegal fights with millions of dollars in the betting pools without some serious repercussions. No, it wasn't Orochimaru's skills that were in question it was his ethics, and therefore his student's were constantly put on the examination table. "He reminds me what it was like, to have that passion in the ring. It is a hard trait to come by, let alone to channel. When I found him he was an angry little boy."

Tsunade's eyes snapped in his direction, "And he isn't now?"

Tsunade had a point but it was one Orochimaru wanted to gloss over for the sake of his student and the losing argument, "Rage will always be an uphill battle for him, but that is because he doesn't have anything else. Just as I didn't for a very long time. Once he finds that reason to fight, he will surpass everyone."

Tsunade uncrossed her legs and then re-crossed them as her agitation displayed itself. She didn't want to hear what she already knew. She was well aware of how talented that boy was. One minute of watching him in the ring and she knew he was probably the best out there. But he fought for selfish reasons. He fought for himself. As long as he was concentrating on his own needs he would never be anything more than a fighter. He would never be a warrior. "What do you want? I doubt you came here to discuss your student. My time is precious and I'm not wasting it on your ugly mug."

Orochimaru looked to the side in slight shame. It was a rare emotion to see on him. He normally carried himself with more arrogance that Jiraiya and an incomprehensible belief that anything he did was justified. Of course that could be said about all three of the Sannin's. "Actually, that is part of why I came here, to discuss that student and his future. He isn't me Tsunade, he is better than me. I should have fought harder. I should have fought harder for you, my title, my humanity and so much more but I didn't. I didn't see the importance and I turned into something awful in my quest for what I wanted instead of what I needed. I've spent night and day making sure my student doesn't make that same mistake. So when he eventually comes to you asking permission to date Haruno, don't forget that."

Her face immediately paled at his last statement. The familiar twitch of her eye was gone and the tell all red that usually accompanied a fist to the gut wasn't present either. Placing his tea back down and pushing it towards his host Orochimaru stood. "He's not perfect but you will never find anyone more dedicated or loyal. I know you Tsunade and you could care less about skill. You want someone for her that is protective, even a little overbearing and paranoid in his quest to keep her from harm. You want someone who will see her as special as you do. My son is a prick. He has an attitude and a vengeful streak worse than yours. His glare alone has scared away competitors. But he is loyal, honorable, protective and will kill anyone who looks at her wrong. She would be in good hands Tsuande."

Stepping away he slowly found his shoes by the door and slipped them onto his feet. Before he could get the door open her voice stopped him. He turned around briefly as he heard her walk up to him, "I wont let it happen."

Slouching back a bit he let lose a small smile, "Tsunade, you can tell yourself what you want but it wont help. He's made up his mind and he doesn't do that lightly. He wont be like Naruto. He wont be stupid and loud about his affections. He'll be silent and cautious, but bold in his actions to make up for his lack of words."

Tsunade drew her arms together, "He doesn't deserve her."

Orochimaru opened the door, "No, he probably doesn't. But if I know him he will spend the rest of his life trying to make up for that. Just like I should have for you."

Then he walked outside and shut the door.

* * *

Sakura paced around her office as she tried to sort out her thoughts. What the hell had happened earlier today? Those were not normal thoughts. Those were not normal feelings! Sakura continued to march, now confining her space to the small circle around her desk as she contemplated the situation.

Oh dear lord she sort of kind of liked him.

Damn him for being so ridiculously good looking with a bad childhood and family expectations he was determined to earn his way out of. And he just had to be the stoic and aloof fighter too. Half jokingly, but half serious Sakura glanced over at her dictionary. Deciding that it might be outdated she all but slid over to her computer as she remembered the earlier conversation when at his dojo. It was a stupid idea of course. His picture would not be there. Some part of her wanted to prove it to herself though. That Sasuke didn't have any more potential in her life than being a good friend. Immediately going to her search engine she typed in the blasted phrase she seemed to have running rampant in her head.

'Sakura Haruno's Type' pulled up more than she expected. Honestly she had searched the phrase in hopes of seeing absolutely nothing, maybe some articles she had done recently in conjuncture with her name. Instead she was shown something very different. Wide eyed and in disbelief she saw fan after fan page describing her social interactions with the male species.

Did no one have a life?

Looking at the reports, fan based and gossip articles, she read over and over again very similar phrases. "Quiet ones" and "troubled" kept popping up, "athletes" was another, and "hopeless" was the last one. She wasn't sure if that had to do with her dating track or the men that she picked, or maybe it was just about her. Looking at the pictures of her, and being more than a little creped out, Sakura slouched in her chair. "What is wrong with me?"

"You have pink hair," spoke a voice from her doorway.

Sakura immediately proceeded to fall out of her chair from the shock. Glancing up from under her desk Sakura watched as Kiba walked into her messy as hell office. "Shut up, my hair is awesome."

Kiba smirked, "You also have a temper, and a fowl mouth, and are deceptively evil."

Slamming her hands on the desk, half to help her stand and half to make a statement, she glared at him. "What do you want?"

Discreetly she tried to turn her computer screen away from them. Kiba was a colossal snoop after all, but she knew it would be an uphill battle. He never came to her office, like ever. Kiba being in an office space was equivalent to Neji doing something spontaneously. Some things were just too ridiculous to imagine. This meant that he had a purpose and Kiba with a purpose was never good. She prayed to whatever god was up there that he did not want to go on another three week hiking trip. She was still getting over the loss of proper toilet paper and worms being their only meal for three days because the fish had cleared the streams unexpectedly.

Kiba whistled at her response, "Someone is touchy. That explains the call from Neji. He said something about you being off in the car. And you know Neji, nothing is ever allowed to be wrong with Sakura."

It was that damn ex-boyfriend but never really dated thing again. He was way to protective of her but in a creepy and not adorable way like she was sure other people were capable of. Drawing in a sigh she let Kiba go on. He wasn't about to stop on the account of her not wanting to talk about it so she figured it would be best to get to the point. At least it wasn't a backpacking trip. "Do I really have a type?"

Kiba's eye brow rose questioningly, "Of favorite food? Of style? Of car?"

In frustration she turned the computer around and made sure he paid attention to the screen, "Of men?"

The same questioning look crossed his face. He glanced at the screen again as he honestly tried to look at things from his friends perspective. After a few more seconds of quirking his head and repeatedly blinking he looked at her, "You looked yourself up, that's a little conceded Sakura."

Sakura's eye twitched as she grabbed her purse to effectively stomp out of the room. Kiba was to busy laughing at her response to stop her. She did manage of good slam of her door and in an effort to completely block out her coworkers she marched towards the outside elevator. As soon as she pressed the button a hand grabbed her wrist, "Calm down would you? It was a freaking joke."

Her instincts flared as she twisted his arm up into the air and pushed him into the side wall. Once his body was effectively smashed up against the wall that probably had a new dent in it she thrusted her elbow into his back. With the half body slam declared effective by his whimpering Sakura released her hold. Kiba immediately slid down to the floor in near unconsciousness. Before leaving him be she watched to make sure his hands twitched, which they did, as she stepped around his body. Turning back to her remaining co-workers she gestured to the body with a deceptively innocent grin, "annoying big brother".

The women in the room seemed to nod knowingly while the men loosened their tie's. It appeared that sweet Sakura Haruno was actually crazy. The guy she took down was nearly half her size in muscle alone.

Sakura, for her part, stepped into the elevator and furiously pressed the button to the first level. Kiba had not helped her mood, or her worry, and now she was more frazzled than before. Drawing in a deep breath of air Sakura impatiently waited for the stupid elevator music to stop indicating she could get out. Tapping her foot Sakura could have leaped for joy when the familiar dig rang and the outside noise overshadowed the music. All but jumping out of the way Sakura was very surprised to find herself once again being pushed into it.

Looking up Sakura was more than shocked to see her mentor shoving her back into the contraption. "Tsunade?"

Said woman glared back down at her. She scanned the elevator quickly, and then after determining that it was indeed clear, continued to glare. Sakura, who was more than baffled, and feeling incredibly guilty regarding her earlier feelings towards a certain Uchiha could feel the gulp rising in her mouth. Did she know? How the hell could she? Well that was easy, all supervillians had mentors to help in their evil ways and apparently Tsunade was hers. The woman was a freaking psychic when it came to Sakura.

"Regarding Gaara for next week's match, stay away from him," spoke the incredibly angry woman.

Sakura felt her mouth gape like a fish at the abrupt comment. They continued to rise up in the elevator, the still stupid music playing like it was purposefully designed to increase the awkwardness of the ride. Gaara? What the hell did Gaara have to do with anything? And why did she need to stay away? Aside from the interview with his trainer and his sister, Gaara was busy meditating in solitude and was not to be disturbed, she had never spoken to him.

Should she?

She probably should. Now that she really thought about it she didn't know nearly as much about him as she wanted. No, as she _needed_ in order to be an effective reporter. Maybe she could stop by his dojo for lunch today. That was it, she could pick up something quick on the way and eat in her car. Or maybe she could take the train and watch some older matches of him online to get a better sense of his style.

The music died out and she watched as Tsuande got off on her familiar office level. Glancing at Kiba who was still groaning on the ground, Tsunade snickered. Then she headed straight for Sakura's boss's office. Why was she heading to that one was a mystery in itself. Disregarding it because she now had a Gaara situation to handle Sakura continued to re-think her day.

The doors shut before Sakura could fully comprehend what had just happened. What in the world was going on? Her mind was already spinning though and her phone was already in front of her as she canceled her former lunch appointment with Tenten. The girl would understand since it was about work.

She felt herself move back down towards the first floor, she could only guess that someone else was in need of her elevator. As soon as she reached the appropriate floor Sakura quickly scurried out like a mouse running away from a cat as she planned her day. But because she was so busy on her phone already requesting video's be sent to her email on Gaara's latest matches Sakura didn't pay attention to where she was going. Tumbling into the street Sakura glanced around as a strong set of hands helped her steady herself.

"Than-" and then the words died on her lips as the sight of her own familiar red scarf greeted her. Much to her disbelief, and utter embarrassment, Sasuke Uchiha had been the one to catch her. Every previous thought surrounding Gaara flew out of her head as their eyes made contact. How was it that the man she had been trying to get out of her head just moments ago was the one right in front of her? Had he checked her search engine? What was he, stalking her? Oh dear lord stalking seemed to run in the Uchiha family.

Sasuke's face seemed to freeze slightly, giving off a slight indication of his own mind reading abilities, and then he spoke, "I had to turn in my statement for the tournament. I am not stalking you."

Sakura all but leaped out of his arms in fright, "What makes you think I think that?" The nervousness in her voice was clear as day and she prayed to kingdom come he didn't recognize it. Uchiha's were born as socially inept, conceited and arrogant individuals so part of her doubted that he had the ability to pick up on her apprehension. Then again, he had spent a lot of time differentiating himself from his family if his earlier story that day had been any indication.

While her mind was racing, and trying to cover up the awkwardness that she knew was seeping out of her, Sasuke's right eyebrow rose, "You just said that, I was just answering you."

Now Sakura froze as realization dawned on her, "I said that out loud?"

He didn't even need to answer since the truth was beginning to look rather obvious. Blushing like mad Sakura tried to regain some of her dignity as she prayed to the heavens above that her thinking of him as a stalker was the only thing she said out loud. In an attempt to at least explain herself she somehow dug herself into a deeper hole. "So um, sorry for thinking you were a stalker. Natural inclination with your brother and all."

After she said it Sakura realized how much of an insult that probably appeared to him. Dear lord could she get nothing right? What was next? Was she going to say he was just like his mother also? Great one Sakura, keep them rolling. Instead of calling her out on her statement Sasuke remained more than polite and more than a little protective, "Has he been around? I suggest getting a restraint."

Part of her calmed at his obviously worried features. It looked like he wasn't taking anything that she had said the wrong way and for that she was thankful. Relaxing, if only a bit, Sakura couldn't help the giggle that seemed to rise in her throat, "I think I can handle him. Besides, he wouldn't do anything that could hurt the family image."

The passing crowd pushed her briefly and instead of getting pulled away she felt the familiar strong grip on her upper arms. All but hauling her towards him Sasuke pointed towards a diner across the street. Considering her options, and the fact that she had already canceled her plans with Tenten and was more than a little hungry, Sakura quickly agreed. Running across the street with him they entered the dinky looking diner. Grabbing a booth, and Sasuke reaching over to the nearby table to grab a couple of menu's and thus giving Sakura a perfectly timed glimpse of his abs as his shirt rose up just enough to make her blush, they started what Sasuke was inwardly calling their first date.

Sakura was inwardly calling it 'what the frick was she thinking?' while she was trying to figure out what was going on. Why had she agreed? Tsunade was practically a building away and she was already confused about the man in front of her. Why the hell was she adding more to those growing layers of feelings? And why was he even here with her? "Are you worried about the fight?"

And now she was starting a conversation. What the hell was wrong with her?! Internally Sakura was listing off any and all mental disorders that ran in her family that could possibly be effecting her now.

Sasuke looked up from the menu and placed it down. He already knew, after one glance at the menu, what he was going to get. Giving her the infamous Uchiha smirk he answered her, "Are you asking for Hyuuga's sake or because you actually want to know something about me?"

Realizing that he was concerned about her motives Sakura did what she could to clear up the misunderstanding, "No offense to my long time friend but he isn't going to win. Out of the newer applicants I haven't really seen anything worthy of the title either. It's down to you and this Gaara guy in my books. Neji and Naruto are strong fighters but you and Gaara have a similar cut throat style that wont leave survivors. With your speed and his ruthlessness those two will have a harder time keeping up. Of course, they will make it farther than the rest."

Sasuke didn't even bother to hide the arrogant smirk that grew across his face. Sakura, immediately recognizing the familiar Uchiha haughtiness rolled her eyes as dramatically as she could without hurting herself. "I am not saying that you are going to win."

The smirk didn't leave but instead seemed to grow exponentially in arrogance despite the lack of movement on his face. Before she could assure him that he wasn't gods gift to fighters their waiter walked, well more like sashayed, over to them. It appeared that she had noticed Sasuke from the other side of the room and was more that happy that he resided in her section. Only momentarily acknowledging the pink haired reporter, and Sakura was finding herself more than a little annoyed with the cliché scenario, she asked for their order.

Her efforts were in vain despite her fluttering eyelashes. He didn't even glance at her. Heck, he didn't even speak to her. Sasuke simply pointed to the leak soup and a side of grilled chicken combo. With her confidence shot, and the undoubtedly forming plan to stand in front of her bathroom mirror in her underwear while categorizing all the flaws in her body to justify why she wasn't worth his attention, she turned towards Sakura. The moment she caught sight of pink her eyes regained their glow.

"Like, your' the newscaster!" she said happily while smacking her previously hidden gum.

Sakura glanced at the waitress, then back at her menu. Without missing a beat she smiled, "No comment."

The girl all but danced in her spot as she metaphorically formed hearts around the table, "Oh my god, you are like awesome. Oh my god, oh my god! Can you like, get me an interview. I could like totally do the weather girl there."

Sakura placed down the menu, "I'm pretty sure she is straight but I'll let her know that you offered your services. In the mean time can I have the tempura with the beef broth stew?"

The poor and completely out of her league waitress stuttered as she realized what she had just implied. Turning beet red, and being thoroughly embarrassed in front of an impossibly cute guy and an extremely well known woman, she slowly grabbed their menu's while saying she would be back with their orders and some water.

Almost immediately turning back towards Sasuke she resumed their conversation, "I'm not saying you are going to win, I'm just saying you have a higher probability that two out of the other three that I know. And the other four that were just added shouldn't be big competition either."

Sasuke leaned back in his chair determined to prove that he thought her argument wasn't valid and she was just in denial. Once his eyes made clear just how must bullshit he thought she was full of he changed the conversation. "So you googled me and you?"

Her face immediately paled. Oh kingdom come she had said that out loud too? What was with her and instigating embarrassing moments around this man? Did he have some magnetic force that instinctively drew the most insane statements out of her? "I umm, was just proving my friends wrong about me having a type" she said while attempting to push her earlier heart thumping moments out of her head.

Sasuke drew in a short breath at the idea of her truly contemplating dating him. It had obviously crossed her mind, maybe not as much as it had his but it was still a thought. He could work with a thought. Before he could comment, and continue to watch just how deep down her chest that pretty little blush of hers could go, her phone beeped indicating a message had been sent. Apologizing and grabbing her phone Sakura quickly checked the email. Her face smiled in recognition as the link's registered. Placing her phone back down Sasuke couldn't help but wonder what had drawn in her attention. Most importantly he wanted to know who had the gall to interrupt their date.

"Something important?" he asked.

Sakura nodded her head happily. "Some video's on Gaara that I requested. I was going to watch them while heading up to his dojo to try to do a second interview. I completely forgot that I had asked for them actually. I guess it was because I ran into you."

Sasuke did not like the idea of her researching the fighter to a greater extent. The last thing he wanted right now was for her to find interest in someone else. "He is still in solitude, though it is probably out of preference. I've met him once or twice and he does not enjoy the company of others."

Sakura bit her bottom lip as she tried to figure out the best entrance points into what she remembered of the dojo. She didn't want to be the sneaky reporter that bombarded the individual but Tsuande wanted her to back off for a reason. She desperately wanted to know what the reason was. Did he have a shady past? Maybe there was some illegal deals being made? What if Tsuande actually thought he was going to win? No, she never made bets on things like this cause she didn't want her bad luck to mess with the skill of the fighters.

As she thought of the abrasive woman Sakura felt her heart thump as her eyes roamed across the street. Her mind screamed as her body slid under the table. Sasuke, to his credit only blinked once or twice in confusion before turning towards where she was previously looking. Standing outside of the station he witnessed a busty woman who could only be known as Sakura's mentor glancing from side to side.

He looked down to where he was sure she was hiding. Part of him wished the table wasn't there so he could look at her face but another part of him wanted to see how this would play out, "Embarrassed?"

Sakura's voice squeaked guiltily as she answered, "No, I just don't want a scene. You are the last person I should be eating with and Master would be more than happy to remind me."

Sakura's hand shot up from under the table and she made a waving motion, "Let me know when she is gone."

Sasuke turned back towards the street as he watched her hail a cab. After a few second went by, and the car was officially down the road, he let her know that the coast was clear. Once she slowly pulled herself back up she sheepishly looked at him, "Sorry, its just you are Orochimaru's student. To say the least our master's do not mix well."

Sakura mentally started calculating how quickly she could leave without appearing to rude. She shouldn't have come out with him. Tsunade would kill her. And with all those nasty feelings she felt earlier Sakura knew she was playing chicken with fate. Maybe she could make a break for it in ten or so minutes? The food would be out by then right?

Sasuke, for his part, could see her wheels turning and did not like the direction she was slowly moving towards. "Your style is defense based."

He was never eloquent with words so he did what he did best, he brought up fighting.

Sakura was almost immediately snapped out of her daze as she was re-engaged in the conversation. Forgetting her earlier thoughts and happy to talk shop with someone who would understand Sakura felt herself becoming giddy. Recognizing an opening when she saw one Sakura beamed proudly, "It is, but what makes you say that?"

Sasuke momentarily recalled the more than insightful fight he had witnessed a few weeks before. She was swift, but cautious, calculated but never truly left the defensive pose. Almost all of her tactics had been in using her opponents moves against them. Only once or twice had he saw her make a direct attack. "Your movements were not of someone trained to destroy, but of one to protect."

Sakura could feel the same blush as before return ten fold. She could only guess it had to do with their conversation earlier about his family. The ability to protect had clearly been deemed something of high importance on his priority list. And she knew a compliment when she heard one.

Determined to draw the attention away from her, the small bullied child in her desperately wanted the attention on someone else, Sakura tried to change the subject, "Despite Tsuande's abrasive attitude her main goal in life seems to be to keep others at a distance. I guess that leaked into her fighting style as well. Defend, defend, defend until you see an opening to pulverize your opponent until they don't feel its worth it to come back."

He could feel the pride from the other side of the booth as she talked about her mentor. As they, and by they it was mainly she, told stories of various trials their Master's had put them through, their food was delivered. Then they asked for refills, then a second order. Sakura was in between bites and laughing about one training excursion where Tsuande had her dodging softballs for over half a day to increase her speed when her cell phone once again dinged.

Glancing down at her phone her face paled considerably as she noticed the time, "Oh my gosh Sasuke I am so sorry! We've been here for over three hours!"

Sasuke glanced at his own watch and noticed that she was correct, they had been here for a while. He had sat and listened to her speak for over three hours and hadn't felt the need to get up and leave or tell her off for being a bother. Knowing that he never put up with anyone talking that much he suddenly felt very confident in his choice.

Sakura it appeared felt differently. She was throwing her phone into her purse and desperately searching for her wallet in order to pay the bill. "The tournament is coming up and I'm sure you need to be training anyways. I completely wasted your day! I feel so sorry you don't even know. And now its dark which means that I missed the train near Gaara's dojo. I can't believe I did that. I _never_ do that!"

The moment she pulled her wallet out of her purse a wad of cash was thrown on the table countertop. She glanced up in surprise that quickly turned to indignation, "You paid for my hot chocolate too."

Sasuke nodded, half paying attention and half deciding how he was going to keep her away from Gaara's dojo, "Good observation skills."

Sakura frowned as she watched him put on his jacket. He seemed to hesitate briefly when reaching for the scarf but quickly wrapped that around his neck. He glanced up just in time to see her pout and stomp her foot, "Don't do that."

Smirking he motioned towards the door, "Don't do what?"

She didn't budge as she continued to open up her wallet and look for some change in order to pay for her food, "Don't-"

"Use manners?" he said while cutting her off. "We must have been raised differently because that is what they are. Did your parents not see the need to implement them?"

Sakura huffed in an extremely undignified manner as she grabbed her coat and stomp up to him. It took a few seconds because his legs were much longer than hers. By the time she caught up to him her jacket was half on and he was casually holding the door open for her, "Of course I was raised with manners! My parent's were great with me."

As she tried to push her arm into her sleeve, in was freezing outside now that the sun had mostly set and she was in no condition to be out without the proper level of layers. Much to her surprise his hand reached out and held the difficult article of clothing so she could dress properly. Sighing in defeat she placed her arm in the hole and buttoned herself properly. "Happy?"

With a grunt, and a sly look towards the diner, he nodded his head. Then in dawned on her, her fricking money was still in her hand. The rat bastard had pissed her off enough to make her leave before she could pay extra for her bill. In astonishment she turned back towards him. With one eyebrow lifted she growled, "You are sneakier than I thought."

"Hn," was his only response.

Quickly deciding that she completely hated that phrase due to its inability to tell her anything of relevance at all, she placed her hands next to her eyes and rubbed. "I guess you win this one."

Placing his hands in his pockets, and directing her to follow with a slight shoulder shrug the two continued down the street. In a very similar Naruto fashion, seriously she wasn't tired after three hours of talking, he only had to wait a few seconds before she broke the silence. "Thank you, you know for the compliment earlier about my fighting style."

Her voice was softer than normal, almost like a small child unable to take a compliment without stuttering. Glad that she had recognized what he meant behind his statement Sasuke shrugged the familiar shoulders, "It represents you, not just your master. Though you could use a few more strike techniques."

Sakura stopped mid walk as she felt her hair stand on end, "What do you mean I could use more! My technique is perfect!"

Sasuke almost laughed at the fierceness of her statement. God she was easy to rile up. "I would have enjoyed a few more hits to my brother's face. The entertainment was sorely lacking in that department." He was for the most part lying of course. Her execution of her style, and handing Itachi his own ass on a platter had been perfect. Not to mention one of the most amusing things he had watched in some time. Of course he found an immense joy out of flustering her and he was not about to give that up anytime soon.

Sakura growled and turned to face him properly. Maybe about two inches away from his face she began to yell at him. "I kicked that pathetic weasel's ass and he knows it. He can pull all the crap that he wants and I'll still take him down. I don't need some stupid egotistical man thinking pure power is the way to go. And you of all people cannot talk about this Uchiha. You have virtually no defense in your matches. It's all fight till the death with you. I must have spent hours watching footage and I think I saw maybe one defensive stance in the whole bunch. Have you even heard of a block? Seriously, I could teach you a few things-"

"Okay," came the extremely amused voice. He had in all honestly tuned out most of her rant and was concentrating on the fire in her eyes. When she was upset he swore that they would glow. But the moment that he heard her offer, as unintentional as it was, he knew he had to jump in.

Her response was very different. For the most part Sakura was well known for keeping her temper with random strangers. People she knew, well, they eventually learned their lesson. Strangers on the other hand would file restraining orders that led to law suits. So what was it about him that just made her flare up like gasoline and a match? Then she would run her mouth and get put into a horrible situation with absolutely no exit plan. "Wait…what?"

"I'll make you a deal. I'll learn one or two of your defensive moves if you learn an equal number of attacks from me."

Sakura felt the same thump in her chest that she knew had no purpose for being there. Learning a few new techniques and working out on the practice mat was not hot. It was not so undeniably sexy and a trait that had her daydreaming of boys past. It had never led to make out sessions on said mat because a strong, fit, glistening, dedicated guy did not fit her profile. "I, umm. You're kidding right?"

Please please please let him be kidding. She already had a little crush on him and she did not need it to get any bigger. And bigger was where it would undoubtedly go if she practiced with him. But god damn it she saw a challenge in his statement. Some part of him thought she would chicken out, that she would say no and then he would win the stupid little battle he had going on inside his head. Besides, there was no way he wanted to learn from her. He was an Uchiha, they were a proud lot who never saw any fault in what they did. Like ever.

"No I'm not. Not that I think there is much you could teach me-" he started.

Sakura quickly cut him off, "Like hell there isn't. You couldn't rely more on those eyes of yours and have you ever heard of your left arm? It's not dead weight, you can move it in I don't know, a blocking position? Or heaven forbid you use your right one in something other than a strike motion. Challenge accepted Uchiha!"

"Good, tomorrow night at around six. I'll clear the dojo an hour before so you don't have to worry about running into anyone. And warm up, it wont be an easy night for you." He was smirking through all of this. It was annoying.

Sakura recognized that he had effectively backed her into a corner but she would be damned before she was the one to say no. Sighing in defeat she mentally prepared herself for the following night. "Fine, but I want to be taught something that would complement my fighting style. Not something that screams I was taught this by a big burley man who can throw around his weight like a sumo wrestler."

Sasuke quickly agreed, "And you will teach me something that will be easily incorporated into my own style without disrupting my attacks. You have watched enough footage to know what would work?"

Sakura nodded her head. She had spent a good portion of her last few weeks reviewing everyone's footage so she could make appropriate commentary on the day of the big matches. It was a two day event and nothing, and she truly meant nothing was going to prevent her from being the best broadcaster she could be. Still, the idea of actually training with what she saw on those videos was daunting.

But as he walked away she only had one thought going through her head. Dear Lord what had she just gotten herself into?

* * *

Sakura stood outside of the familiar looking dojo as she attempted to calm her racing heart. She had stood at this very spot about three weeks ago as she casually walked into what she now referred to as the dojo of temptation. Yes she was well aware that it sounded like a late night movie Kiba was apt to watch but at this point she didn't care. It described her predicament perfectly because Sasuke Uchiha was quickly turning into a forbidden piece of fruit that stupidly hung in front of her.

Rolling her eyes at her own thoughts Sakura sighed, "Why do I get myself in these situations?" But there was nothing she could do about it at this point. She was given a challenge, she accepted and now she had to pay the price.

So adjusting her very flattering yoga pants that she would deny ever spending as much time as she did making sure nothing looked unseemly. She also hadn't spent an enormous amount of time picking out a sports top that matched due to its black lining and green undertones. So maybe the entire outfit accented her best assets. So what, a girl could look nice while getting sweaty and standing in close quarters with a very nice looking partner. There was nothing wrong with looking your best.

It was moments like this she realized how much like a middle schooler she sounded.

Deciding not to give it anymore thought she pushed the very large and decorative door open. Glancing around the area she was surprised to find it empty. Part of her half expected to see Sasuke standing there half naked and looking delicious. But instead the lights were lit, the weights were put aside and the cubbies were empty.

Kicking off her sandals she bowed while entering the mat as was custom. Her eyes scanned the room as she assessed her situation. She knew she was a few minutes late, what with her pep talk outside taking longer than she expected, and she hoped that he hadn't thought that she bailed.

"Go the fuck away Naruto, I don't care how much you miss her," came a yell from the other side of the dojo.

Sakura watched as the familiar black haired dark eyed male opened up the back door that she hadn't paid attention to. Their eyes met and Sakura felt the familiar smirk on his face long before his lips twitched.

"But bastard, we were supposed to have dinner together!" screamed another voice. Sakura saw a flash of blonde before Sasuke slammed the door shut. The sighting had obviously been of Naruto. It appeared she had interrupted some boy time together and he wasn't taking it so well.

"If you want to win at least do it fairly by actually beating me in the ring and not through sheer annoyance." Said Sasuke while shaking his head in disbelief at his friend's antics. He slowly stepped onto the mat as their eyes remained locked on one another.

Sakura, despite the intense gaze, had to raise her hand to her mouth to stifle the familiar giggle that seemed to accompany her whenever she saw the two together. Their relationship was beyond amusing. Though part of her had to wonder how they were interacting with each other this close to the tournament. Neji was causing a storm wherever he went but it appeared that wasn't the case here.

"What! I am not annoying! Fine, I'll see you later but I'm going to beat you. Believe it!" came the muffled yell.

She heard a few slamming of doors but eventually it all faded into nothingness. Her giggle still present Sakura refocused her attention onto her new sparing partner for the night, "A date?"

He scoffed at that and crossed his arms, "Hardly."

Realizing that this impromptu meeting probably was cutting into some part of his day she stilled. He was undoubtedly training like crazy what with the tournament a week away and she was probably taking time away from his busy schedule. "If you had plans or need to train we can always reschedule. I know this is a busy week for you."

Sasuke shook his head in response, "The idiot makes an insane level of plans that he just assumes I agree to. He probably thinks we are going flower picking sometime in the week. I promise, it's not an issue."

Sakura glanced around the immaculate dojo, "Still, you have to prepare."

Sasuke uncrossed his arms and walked up to her slowly, "It's no problem. Did you stretch?"

Sakura nodded her head. The truth was that she had spent the better part of last night stretching and running through possible lessons. Sasuke Uchiha deserved her best, even if a week ago she didn't think that, and that was what she was going to give him. She had spent more than enough time running through scenarios in her mind and she was positive that her three techniques would be perfect for his style.

So, ignoring the obvious sexuality oozing off of him like a tidal wave, Sakura stripped out of her jacket and threw it towards her discarded shoes. "How about we start with yours? I'm dying to see those hands of yours actually be of some use."

Sasuke made a very dignified grunt in response while ignoring the sexual comment her little statement had left open to him, "Scared?"

Sakura huffed, "Hardly. I just know which one of us needs more work." She pushed her hands above her head and did a rather large stretch. Inadvertently her workout shirt rode slightly by the movement. Placing her hands back down she smirked, "So lets start with some sandbag weights that we can attach to your wrists cause getting you to pay attention to your body is the fist step."

Sasuke moved so he stood nearly a foot in front of her, possibly closer. She could feel his breath across her chest and it took every ounce of strength not to let the tell-all shiver run up her spine. He wasn't going to get to her. Damn it all the hell and back. She was going to make it through this training session if it was the last thing she did.

Sasuke's thoughts were oh so different. He was contemplating the many compromising positions they were sure to find themselves in. His mind was repeatedly saying one phrase, that just maybe he would be able to see just how deep that blush of hers ran.

* * *

**Firevixen73** - Enjoy! Hope you guys like the start of the romance. I'm thinking one more chapter for this story that will hopefully be up soon


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